Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Network and relationship


Do not network. Build relationships. Relationship itself is its own reward.  Do not build relationships with an aim to get something out of it to benefit our business or ourselves.

I learned about the importance of relationships in business while associating with a multi level marketing company. The company has its base in USA and their products are of high quality. I still am a customer of their products, but stopped all other business associations. The company has a good repute. But the network, build and managed by their chapter in my province was poor in building relationships.

They were keenly interested in building a large network. Eager to find new members and enthusiastically joined them to the network. But if they find that the member is not earning a considerable financial income for the leader of the network, they distance from him and finally drop him.

They speak a lot about ethics; but never keep it. Adding new members to their network and financial benefit out of it is their only concern. This is a kind of exploitation.
‘I exploit you; you exploit someone else’, is their working style. Those who can exploit others more can earn more money. Money is the only thing discussed among them.

I prefer to build relationships. Not only in business, in life too, I value relationships. Relationship for the sake of relationship alone. No financial motive is there. It is real and truly humane.

The benefit from a relationship is the sheer joy of it.
It may bring financial benefits. Even if it does not, relationship is valuable.

An enemy is no support for us. Enemy is always enemy.
A relative may not be a support for us in all matters; but surely he is not an enemy.
Enemies destroy our life and business. A relative may not help us to build our business or life; but he is not a threat to us.

Build relationships, not customers.
Customers are not a lasting group. Only a ‘buy and sell’ procedure exists between us and a customer.
A relative is a different person. We are in a personal relationship.

How can we build a relationship? Think about the characteristics of blood relatives. Pick the ingredients that tie the blood relatives together.
Integrate them into our relationship with the members in our network.

Finance is a co traveler of relationship. Instead of ‘I exploit you; you exploit someone else’ policy, let us practice mutual benefit.
Be with him in his need, not in our need.

Build a better network of relationships. It works better and stronger. It endures long.



Further reading:
 
Professor Jacob Abraham

Like this blog?
1.       Leave a comment below
2.       Subscribe to my blogs
3.       Tell your friend.

No comments:

Post a Comment