Whether you manage, recruit, or sell, there is nothing more important than your ongoing task of building relationships. 

My 24 year-old son, who is a an account manager at a Seattle radio station, recently sent me a very  good article.  The article, Relationship Farming Starts With Creating A “Wow” Experience, helps remind us all of the importance of relationship building through the analogy of farming.

Terry Brock , president of Orlando, Florida based Achievement Systems says:

“Building quality, profitable relationships in business is much like farming, or what I call relationship farming.

Like the farmer who keeps us all alive, you have to study the soil (know what is happening in the world and environment of your customers), plant the seeds (send your message in a positive, respectful way), nurture the plants (provide continued benefits), allow for ample moisture and fertilizer (keep providing what the customer needs) and be around for harvest (have systems in place to process sales).

Then when all the work is finished, it is time to begin for next year.

But how do you keep those wonderful, delightful people who pay our bills (call them customers, clients, members, guests — whatever) happy?

Keep creating experiences that make customers say ‘wow’ when they deal with you.

See customers’ experiences from their point of view.  What do they have to deal with in your business?  In the market you serve, what are the major problems people encounter?  Why are they buying from you?  What problems are they seeking to solve?

Once you’ve nailed that very important first part, you want to sit down with your people and lay out your plans.

Find out where you can make experiences pleasant and easy for customers.  What can you do to ease their pain?  What can you do in your business to create that wow experience?  Here are a few ideas to get you started and to use as a check-up on what you’re doing now:

• See the world through your customers’ eyes.  What is causing them pain?  Where are they hurting?  What can you do to help relieve the pain?

Don’t just assume you know, talk with them and listen.  Find out from them what is going on and what they want solved.

• Do the hard work of thinking.  Yes, it is hard work as you struggle with options.

• Provide important extras.  Find key areas that add that wonderful new dimension that brings a smile.  Not so much huge, expensive additions but little, important-to-the-customer touches that keep bringing them back.

• Automate as much as possible.  Make the systems around your business fine-tuned and bullet-proof.  Yes, use technology but think in terms of systems and developing better systems all the time.

• Constantly review and revisit what you’re doing on how to tweak and make it even better.  Be so focused on their problems that they would complain if you weren’t around to help them!

Make it your goal to become indispensable in the minds of your customers.  That is what relationship farming requires and that is the benefit for your long-term business.”

Have you ever noticed what the common denominator is with articles (like this one) that resonate with what we know to be important?  It’s that they always represent the “right thing to do.”