
A quick story about “relationships” in business…
Hang on to your britches because we’re about to go for a ride (this stuff gets deep, real deep)!
You often hear that you are in the “relationship” business, or “relationship marketing, with a pay plan attached” or some other load of BS.
If you buy into that crap, STOP RIGHT NOW!
I want you to understand something, and I’m going to be very CLEAR. In our industry, “relationships” are built on TRANSACTIONS.
In other words, you don’t have a real relationship with someone until some sort of transaction has taken place.
I have HUNDREDS of relationships (and I’m sure you do too), and the FACT is, very few of them actually make me money. Don’t believe that mumbo jumbo about being in the relationship business!
You’ll spin yourself right out of business, faster than you can blink both eyes at the same time.
Here’s my point (follow me here), when someone does a transaction with you, several things happen:
#1 – They’ve shown trust in YOU and that they believe that you can guide them in the direction they want to go.
#2 – You get a commitment from them.
#3 – You both now have a vested interest in the relationship
#4 – You gain loyalty
#5 – Your valuable time has been earned
#6 – They’ve shown they’re a serious player (you gotta separate the winners from the whiners)
#7 – You’re now working with a fully qualified individual
So next time someone tells you that you’re in the “relationship” business, you can politely inform them that it’s simply not true.
If you’re in business for yourself, you’re in the “transaction” business first, as transactions are what ultimately make you money. Then – and only then – do you have a relationship. For the lack of a better term, it’s “customer relationship business”.
IE: a relationship means you both have a vested interest in each other. Do you really have a vested interest in knowing or working with someone who isn’t interested in you or what you’re offering?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.