Today, I spent about two and a half hours with James Young, the President of Spring-Green. We're helping James identify veterans who may wish to get involved with a Spring-Green franchise (if you are interested, click here for more information.)
We spent the majority of the time brainstorming business ideas. By the end of the conversation, despite the fact that he is the client, I took away more than I gave. Talking to people like James is uplifting and never boring. James is an expert in franchising - check out his linked in profile - and he lives and breathes his passion.
James worked with me to think through how we might be able to best serve all of our clients, and he walked me through how I could structure a new partnership with the IFA VetFran program.
So what's the take away? For business people, it's that every relationship is strengthened when there is an exchange of ideas and services; a quid pro quo. True networking and the building of long-term productive relationships can only occur when each party contributes something meaningful to the relationship. Don't look for an immediate payback - it may take months or years. But be interested; be curious. Look for ways to constantly help the other party - it will always come back to you.
If you are in career transition, the same principle applies. Who would you put first in line if they needed help? Someone who is interested in you and your business - or someone just asking for a job or asking for an introduction?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 07:52AM