Relationship Marketing Tips - Everyone is Important

Motivational speaker, Jay Block, recently recanted a lesson he learned early in his career, and I personally think it applies to anybody in business today, especially when considering the variety of people who are in your market audience.

Here's what Jay said....

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello".

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

So my challenge to you today is, "Who are the Dorothy's in your life who you haven't met yet?" Every Dorothy can be just as influential for your business as the President of a company. Every person has an opinion about your company, whether it is good or bad.

Take time to get to know the Dorothy-people in your market audience, in addition to the decision-makers whom you normally deal with. Dorothy's positive or negative comments and opinions can be just as strong for the future of your business as your regular contacts.