How Some Relationships Can Make You Millions!

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” –Theodore Roosevelt

Creating and maintaining genuine relationships is at the core of success for the business owners that I recently interviewed. They all agree that a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck is what it takes to start your own business. There were several other commonalities in these interviews, but they all stressed the importance of developing great relationships.

John, a consulting firm business owner, got his initial start because of his reputation of doing good work and having good relationships with his teams, customers and bosses. When one team moved on to another organization, they naturally brought John along with them. Several times over, John was called to do business with because he and his consultants were thought of in high regard. John was able to take his business to another level of success because of the trust an old colleague had in him from a relationship that he had formed nearly 10 years prior.

Trae, an owner of a promotional products and awards company, negotiated out of his non-compete and a small list of which clients he could take with him when he left the large company to go out on his own. He continued to grow the existing relationships he had and used those relationships to as his foundation while he established relationships with new clients.

Davon and Greg, multi-millionaire owners of separate management consulting firms, looked at their goals, researched who could help them and spent time creating and developing key relationships that would develop their business. Key relationships and partnerships are core to their multi-million dollar enterprises.

These are just a few examples of how important relationships are to creating successful business ventures. Below are a few things you can do to jumpstart your relationships.

Question: I don’t understand how I am supposed to take a relationship and make it a business relationship without feeling like I am using that person.

Answer: Who says you would be using anyone? Presumably you are offering a product or service that would benefit the end person. And aren’t most relationships created and maintained through common interests? By changing perspective on the purpose of your relationships, to one where both sides are benefiting, you renew the similarities that brought you two together in the beginning. Focus your energy on making the relationship mutually beneficial!

Question: I have met some great people in the past and because of jobs switches we have lost touch. Are these people lost forever?

Answer: Starting new relationships is easy, yet it’s maintaining relationships that takes time and effort. Let me ask you this: what is stopping you from getting back in touch with them?? As people, we look for, in fact long for, deeper connections with people. Start now and dig out that old email address, find your friends on social media – that’s what Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are for aren’t they??