As the market continues to change I’m starting to notice a lot of separation between transactional businesses and relational businesses. Teams who have built their business on real relationships with actual context are winning and those that built their business on speed simply churning through contacts searching for the next contract are starting to feel the pinch. There is still time to change but you have to start now. Pick up the phone and call every person in your cell phone. Ask them how they’ve been doing. Apologize for not keeping in touch if it’s appropriate and let them know your goal is to do a better job staying in touch with people in your life. Invite them to a cup of coffee, bbq, or event to catch up. You’ll be shocked how many relationships will pick up right where they loft off. Once you’ve reconnected don’t be a jerk. Stay in touch with people. Participate in key moments in their life by acknowledging those moments and celebrate or mourn with them. Real relationships are built on shared emotion. If you want to go deep in any relationship you have to be part of peoples life when emotions are high (or low). Don’t believe me? I’d like you to think about the 3 closest people in your life. I would be willing to bet you had the highest or lowest moments of your existence with those people. Those relationships were solidified because you went through some crap together. Now imagine what business would look like if you had an army of people willing to go to battle with/for you. That doesn’t happen with surface level relationships. You have to be real and go deep. Relational businesses are easy. You just have to be a good friend. Your CRM is just the tool that makes sure things don’t fall through the cracks.
Real is winning
