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From the November 2006 Newsletter
Q - I’m constantly “time-challenged”; how do I keep up with ALL of my business relationships?
A - You can’t! You simply don’t have enough time in a day to invest in everyone you know equally! So, a better question would be, how do I prioritize my most valuable and relevant business relationships for the highest return on those relationship investments? Especially this coming month, when everyone feels compelled to add to their plate by sending out 5000 Holiday Cards – my favorite is the mass produced versions with the company logo stamped inside and my name (misspelled) on a label (crooked) with a meter stamp – thanks a lot for really personalizing that one! I’m not trying to be ungrateful and I appreciate people thinking of me, but think about it. What do you – for that matter, most people – do with their holiday cards? That’s right, A) they make an interesting clutter of decorations on the receptionist’s desk, some wall, or people get creative and hang them up somehow, B) right around Dec. 22nd before everyone leaves for the holidays or by the latest Jan. 2nd when they come back and find the cards, they get tossed out, and C) other than that instantaneous euphoria when they open it – if their admin didn’t do it and they never see it to begin with, it has NO lasting impact! “I’m thinking of you” – whoohoo, thanks a lot!
Here are some suggestions you may want to consider:
- Prioritize your most valuable business relationships into A-B-C based on a set of criteria appropriate for your business role, stature, goals, and relevancy. In every situation, the classic 80/20 rule (or some variation of it) applies. You’ll get further by investing in the 20% of your relationships that are producing the 80% of your business success, than trying to make everyone happy. This prioritization process will help you delineate those relevant and influential relationships. Please don’t read into this that some people are more valuable than others and keep in mind that I’m referring to business relationships, not your best friend since grade school.
- For example, external to the organization, if you’re a senior executive – think of other executives you’ve appreciated getting to know this past year and those you’d like to get to know better next. If you’re a sales or business development professional, you’d obviously want to thank your most valuable clients and those you want to invest in next year. If you’re in professional services, think of clients you most valued in working with and those you aspire to work with in the coming year.
- Within the organization, think of colleagues who were most instrumental to your success and those you’d really like to work with next year. Are there key individuals who took you under their wings and showed you the ropes? Are there influential relationships which accelerated your ability to get a project completed? Did people help you avoid channel conflicts, coach you on your performance evaluation, or stay with you in the ER all night when you broke your leg at the Annual Conference in Toronto?
Do something extraordinary for that 20% - hand deliver a personalized gift basket, if you’re handy, make something, take them out for a one-on-one meal, a special event – Cirque du Soleil is back in Atlanta this winter. When you personalize the interaction, it will create a far greater impact than that holiday card with “I’m thinking of you”.
What you do speaks volumes greater than what you say. If you’re really “thinking” of them, it shouldn’t be limited to once a year. Where I come from (Iran), one of the more interesting customs is to bring back small gifts when you travel for those you care about. It’s never about money or size – it is about personalized thought. If your goal is to simply say hello and that I appreciate our relationship, prioritize your efforts and truly INVEST in the business relationships most important to you.
