Build The Bridge First

By Soon SL

Here is a short story that will share with you some simple yet astounding secrets that you can use to dramatically improve your ability to build greater and more lasting relationships with your customers, your co-workers or as a leader to be able to lead your team members in a way that you have never thought possible.
It is sometimes said that people buy from people they like and people follow people they trust. As we go through life, one thing is certain for the majority of us and that is that we must interact with people every day. The quality of the life that we will live is going to be affected by the quality of the relationships that we will build. They say that ninety percent of the art of living consist of getting along with people you cannot stand and that in getting along with others, ninety- eight percent depends on our behavior with them.
By the time you finish this short story you will be amazed at how
easily you can dramatically improve your dealings with some ‘difficult’ co-worker or how effectively you can start to build that bridge to that ‘key’ customer that you have been having such a difficult time to connect with. Your ability to lead will also take on a new dimension, as you change people from working for you to people working with you.
As we say, you must build the bridge first. Happy reading

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soon SL
• Release date: Jun 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301679195

Soon SL

Soon SL graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) from University of Malaya in 1980. He has more than 30 years experience in the Elevator Industry ranging from Sales and Marketing, Design and Planning, Project Implementation to Management, including leading one of the major elevator brands in Malaysia. Ir. Soon is a registered Professional Engineer with the Board of Engineers Malaysia and a Member of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia. He is involved with the development of Codes and Standards by being a member of the Working Group on Lifts and Escalators for the country’s Standards Institute, SIRIM. Soon SL has served as the President of the Malaysian Lift and Escalator Association (MALEA). He is also a Certified Professional Trainer and a Member of IPMA (UK). Ir. Soon is always passionate about sharing his experiences acquired over the years both as an Engineer as well as in Sales, Training and Management and hopes that this book will in a small way contribute to that aspiration. Contact : [e-mail]

Book preview

BUILD THE BRIDGE FIRST

An Inspiring Story On How To Build Great Relationships With Co-workers & Customers And Lead Your Team In Ways You Never Thought Possible

By Soon SL

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2010 by Soon See Leak

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

DEDICATION

To my wife Peggy, thank you for your patience and support without which this book would not have become a reality.

To our son Daniel, your mum and I are always proud of you and we wish you a bright and fulfilling life ahead.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 01 : Good Luck, Bad Luck, no one knows

Chapter 02 : Why are bridges important?

Chapter 03 : Everyone’s tuned to the wii.fm

Chapter 04 : People always remember how you made them feel

Chapter 05 : The heart comes before the head

Chapter 06 : Building the bridge

Chapter 07 : The Foundation - Part 1. Trust

Chapter 08 :The Foundation - Part 2. States. Attitudes and Choices.

It’s always our choice!

Chapter 09 :The Foundation - Part 3. On C.A.T. and P.P.E.R.

(pronounced as peeper)

Chapter 10 : The Structure - Part 1. Listen, Listen, Listen

Chapter 11 : The Structure - Part 2. It’s not what you know

Chapter 12 : The Structure - Part 3. Be A Professional At All Times

Chapter 13 : The Structure - Part 4. The quality of your relationships depend on the quality of the questions you ask

Chapter 14 : The Structure - Part 5. You must negotiate!

Chapter 15 : The Structure - Part 6. The Wow and Halo Effects

Chapter 16 : Finally, Where Do We Go From Here

INTRODUCTION

No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others

- John Craig -

It all started many years back. One day, my two colleagues, at that time two young managers, and I were returning from a sales presentation that we had just done at one of our potential customer’s office. We were all feeling very good about the presentation that we just did and we were rather confident that we would get the order. (In fact several weeks later we did receive the order from the client and it was one of the major orders of the year.)

While I remember the two managers being rather excited about the presentation that they just did, I also remembered that this was the first time that they had prepared the presentation in this format and were using Microsoft PowerPoint to enhance their presentation. So upon returning to the office I sent the two of them an e-mail to share with them some of the points that they could improve on, the next time they were to do it again to some other potential clients. While my intentions were positive in that I too was excited about how we could do better, I guess the way that I just started off the e-mail, by immediately sharing all the ‘ideas’ that I thought would improve on the presentation, was received in a totally different context by them. They immediately felt that instead of receiving a compliment from their boss, they were ‘criticized’ on the weaknesses of the presentation. They became demoralized as a result! So there I was feeling happy that I had shared some valuable ‘ideas’ with them which I was sure they would be ‘grateful’ to receive and there they were, from a cheerful feeling after returning back to office to a totally demoralized state after receiving my e-mail. What had I just done?

It is now many years since that ‘e-mail’ incident and I am very fortunate to say that these two great managers are still my colleagues and in fact my personal growth in my career have in no small way been due to their great support and cooperation. At that time in my career, little did I know what I know now as one of the most important lessons of being a leader, and that is It is not what you say or do but how you make them feel that really matters and that feeling will remain with them long after your words and actions have been forgotten.

This lesson and many more such unforgettable ones in leadership and salesmanship have truly helped me grow my career. But I think the most important reason that I am where I am now is not because of all the skills and knowledge that I have acquired over these years, no, it is all the great relationships that I have been so fortunate to build with all my co-workers and invaluable customers who have supported our business over these years.

Don’t misunderstand my message. Knowledge and skills are important if you want to advance your career. But it is the building of all the relationships both in your social life as well as in your working life that will truly enrich your life and bring you all the rewards that await you.

Through these great relationships and the mentors that I had during all these years, I have being fortunate to learn many lessons. It is because of this fortunate situation that I am in, that I want to share some of these experiences, that I have decided to embark on the writing of this book. I have chosen to share these experiences by way of a short story.

I do thank you for taking up this book and starting to read it and hope that you will continue to read the rest of this book and in doing so embark on a short journey with the characters in this short story. Hopefully you will gain some useful insights that may help you to be a better leader, a greater salesman or just simply learning some useful lessons to lead a richer life. Good luck and best wishes in all your endeavors

CHAPTER 01

Good Luck, Bad Luck, No One Knows

I am a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it

- Thomas Jefferson -

Oh no! Oh no! I shouted. Damn it! I cursed. How could I have over slept? I looked at the time again. It was 6.30 a.m. My flight was due to depart from Narita at 9.30 a.m. and I had planned to take the 6.45 a.m. limousine bus from the hotel to the airport. I was supposed to set the alarm at 5.30 a.m. but somehow after coming back late from dinner with some of my Tokyo friends I just forgot to do the most important thing of that evening and that was to set the alarm at 5.30 a.m.!

So I frantically got in to the showers and after an incredibly high speed shower, dress and pack maneuver I was down at the lobby checking out at 6.50 a.m. As I was checking out I asked the hotel concierge to quickly get me a taxi to Ueno station for me to catch the Sky liner express train to Narita.

Still cursing the inexcusable turn of events that morning, I hurriedly walked from the train platform at Narita airport to the Malaysian Airlines airline check-in at counter H. After catching my breath, I asked the Check-In counter staff whether I was still in time to check-in and catch my scheduled flight.

Good morning Mr. Lee. I am afraid to inform you that flight MH71 to Kuala Lumpur has been delayed and is now scheduled to depart at 2.00 p.m. If you like you can check-in now and go to the lounge while waiting for the flight. Would you like to do that sir? asked the counter staff.

I read somewhere some time ago there was an old Chinese story about a farmer who ,while others always view an event as good luck or bad luck, would just remark Good luck, bad luck, no one knows. Well one moment, I was cursing my bad luck of waking up late on a morning that I had to get up early to catch a flight. Then, the next moment there I was at the lounge still able to catch my flight only