pack: reach out to them via Relationship Marketing. Celebrate them; be known as someone who
truly cares: send them cards honoring your relationship and keep in touch with them so you can
acknowledge occasions that hold significance to
them.
Cards: birthday; thank you for your business/referral; congrats on the new office or promotion;
holidays, etc., sent on a regular basis, will endear
you and solidify the human relationship, which is
far more important than the business aspect.
When you run across an article that is noteworthy
in their industry and/or addresses a topic-of-interest to them, send them a copy. If you happen to be
connected to them on Social Media, mention/tag
them when sharing [tasteful] posts.
Everyone likes some recognition … to be made to
feel they matter beyond the business transaction.
When you single them out, either as an individual
or with their company, it makes them take notice
of you going a bit beyond the norm on their behalf
and, rarely are they unappreciative.
check or the contract and uses our goods/services,
they are people with thoughts, feelings, life events,
interests and long memories … make sure they
always have a pleasant one of you!
We started this article with a statistic so it seems
fitting to close with another: true, authentic, Relationship Marketing operates under the “80/20
Rule” ... not the traditional one, but something I
learned from Kody Bateman in 2015: If you celebrate the relationship 80% of the time, the remaining 20% will be easy to navigate with referrals,
retention and goodwill! Seems like a WIN-WIN to
me!!!
About the Author
This habit can also serve as a conversation starter in the upcoming meeting/phone call you have
scheduled with them. People [continue to] do
business with those they know, like and trust and
if you reach out to them, authentically, the chances
of you having career-long clients/referral sources
and lifelong friends greatly increases.
Another benefit of authentic Relationship Marketing is how likely they are to advocate for and refer
to you, without you asking. We all know that folks
talk when they are dissatisfied. In fact, it’s safe to
say that if one person said it aloud, at least 10-12
others were thinking it.
Lesson: people, especially peer-professionals, talk
within their circles and when the decision-maker feels good about you and your goods/services,
they are more likely to tell others – sometimes
even unsolicited – about how well you care for
clients. With that kind of endorsement, who
wouldn’t want to seek you out to do business?
MARCIA WHYTE, Founder/Chief Content
Officer of GratitudeSpeak, a professional
speaking/training platform, has always believed that relationships make the true difference in having a successful life and business.
Her strategies, listening ears and ready smile,
have built her reputation as “The Queen of
Gratitude” in circles where she is well known.
She is fond of the saying, “A positive attitude
gives you power over your circumstances
instead of your circumstances having power
over you!!!”
Always remember that no matter who signs the
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