Sometimes I hear words of wisdom that I can’t help but share with others. And this is one of those times.
At a referral group meeting this week a member shared a blog post from the best-selling author and keynote speaker, Jon Gordon. The core message was the importance of relationships, particularly in business, but it wasn’t the message you would expect. Instead it focused on how we treat others, and by others I mean everyone we encounter on a daily basis. The story that was shared was a true one that involved Jon running into someone he knew from high school. By chance he asked him if he knew anyone that was a television producer, and as luck would have it he did – for NBC. A few weeks later that NBC producer actually called him and that phone call developed into a several segments on the Today show.
This whole sequence of events had a profound effect on Jon. He realized had he not treated his high school classmate well, this referral to NBC would have never happened. He thought that if he was a “jerk” to this classmate he never would have gone to the trouble to offer his assistance to Jon. He obviously didn’t know the significance of relationships while in high school, but the lesson was crystal clear now.
No matter who you meet on a daily basis treat them with kindness, from the difficult vendor to your business competitor. For you will never know when your paths will cross again and how you just might need their assistance in the future.
Keep it personal.