In a recent EAG all-team meeting, I made a statement that generated conversation. I said, “Relationships are the currency of success.” Success doesn’t usually come from the number of eyeballs on a post or clicks on an article. The quality of our relationships will determine our fate as a business.
When I say relationship, I mean you know someone. They’re not your best friend, but you know them. You’ve had conversations and now understand how locking arms can be beneficial for both of you. A relationship isn’t meeting someone one time at a trade show and then thinking you’ve developed a bond strong enough to approach them about a contract.
Relationships take work. You need to know them, and they need to know you. That takes time and effort. Spending time with someone at lunch or dinner allows you to learn what their hurdles are to success and how you can possibly help get them closer to their goals. But you must invest the time, understand their mindset, embrace their goals, and be willing to assist them in the pursuit of their dreams.
Relationships aren’t built over text or email. They’re built eye to eye. A text or email can help support a relationship, but those alone don’t create the kind of connection that allows you to understand someone’s future.
Consider a content creator on a social media platform. All they’re doing is fighting for eyeballs and clicks. There’s no real relationship there. Every single day or week, the content creator must produce something worthy of a view or a listen and then hope it’s worthy enough to get a like or a share. The battle is the same every single day.
When building a relationship, you don’t have to fight for someone’s attention every single day. Once trust is built, you build on that foundation. The person looks forward to hearing from you, and they want to engage with you. To be honest, you must be more interested in them than you are in yourself. Strong relationships are the result of genuine interest and care for the other person. Be that kind of relationship builder.
An online content creator may have a million followers, but the relationship between them and the audience is often very shallow. In that situation, we could say the relationship is a mile wide in number, but only an inch deep in substance.
For those of us in hospitality, or any other service industry, our relationships are face to face. Our goal is to have 50 to 100 relationships, but for those relationships to have weight and depth. In that case, our path is an inch wide but a mile deep. Walk the path that is a mile deep. Richer relationships create more successful individuals.
Those relationships will open doors. You’ll discover opportunities in which your organization can serve others. A strong relationship is built on trust, and you’ll need trust for someone to give you their hard-earned money.
Remember: be genuinely interested in them. Ask questions to learn. Listen carefully. Keep note of important dates. Treat them like a person, not like a wallet. Invest time and effort. The most precious thing you can give someone is your time, and if someone is giving you theirs, don’t waste it.
Relationships are the currency of success. The quality of your relationships will reveal the level of success your business can achieve. What are your relationships saying about your business?
Creating Unparalleled Experiences,
Chris Adams
Ellis Adams Group is always updating our blogs with the latest and greatest, view more below.
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