Got your attention didn't I? Ha!

Ok but seriously, just like intimacy in important in a marriage, it is equally important (just not the same kind) in a business relationship. If you don't have an invested interest in your partner, what's the point. At that point, they're simply a vendor for accounts payable to deal with. But is that how you want to be viewed by them? Or would you rather be important to them?

I make every attempt, in every business relationship to truly and honestly care about the person on the other end. I try and learn (and remember) by customers husband/wife's name, their kids names, birthdays, anniversaries, favorite vacation spots, even Starbucks orders! Now, frankly, I can't remember everything of course... I do track a lot in my Contacts app. Not a CRM. Definitely not a CRM.

This year, we did an evening event at Canal Park here in Akron for some close customers and had them, their spouse, and their kids out and had food, drinks, bubble machines, and th-shirts and stuffed animals and other things to just have a nice night. Not everything has to be a sales attempt.

Doing this, by nature, necessitates having fewer customers because again, by nature, you spend more time nurturing the relationships. However, the old "quality over quantity" comment comes out... I'd rather work super hard at 10 client relationships that bring me great enjoyment and great business than 50 customer relationships that I could lose any one of with very little notice and for practically no reason.

With this kind of a relationship, clients don't constantly look for cheaper prices or a replacement vendor. They ensure that they are open and honest, giving you the opportunity to always do the right thing. That, to me, is the most important business relationship there is.