There is a common saying that people refer to people they “know, like and trust”.  I am not sure where the cliché came from, but it is not really true in many cases.  Consider these three examples: Discount Tire has a great reputation.  As I was going up, many peop...

There is a growing trend to “Buy Local”.  More and more people are talking about it and local companies are including it in their advertising.  What does it really mean, and why is it so important?      As we spend our money locally, as opposed to buying on...

A few years ago I worked seven days a week.  When I arrived it was dark, and when I left it was dark.  I was driven and proud of my work ethic.  Then I had lunch with Dan Kalm.  Dan is a pretty sharp guy who runs a very successful insurance brokerage.  He has built an organ...

Every hour you invest doing something has an opportunity cost.  Every hour you spend doing one thing means you are not doing something else.  What else could you have done with that hour, and what would have been the return on that hour invested?  If you could have been more productiv...

Someone should have said “not all relationships are created equal,” because they aren’t.  Some are better than others, some much better than others.  When it comes to business referrals, none are better than strategic partnerships.  The concept of strategic partners...

One problem with creating trust and loyalty is the time it takes to get the relationship to that point.  Another is  often times the other person has a good relationship with one of your competitors.  Is there a way to accelerate the time it takes to establish trust and loyalty? ...

Before you begin to expand your network of connections, it is important to note that all relationships take time, and time is money.   You do not have enough time to build and maintain relationships with everyone, nor do you want to.  Be very selective who you allow in your network.&...

One day Martin, the owner of a large HOA Management Company, joined my professional referral group.  I sat with him at lunch and explained it might be difficult for us to send him a lot of business.  The discussion that followed taught me the value of a referral group is not just measured ...

Richard owned a large house painting business for almost 30 years.  Most of his business came from the yellow page ads he ran.  The ad was on the first page and cost him nearly $40,000 a year.   As the economy worsened, the callers from the yellow pages seemed to be price shopping, c...

When you make a recommendation it has a direct reflection on you. Do not refer someone just because you know them.  You have to trust them with your reputation.     Before you refer someone to your family, friends and clients, make sure they are good at what they do.  It is far ...