I love Jeffrey Gitomer’s quote in his book, Little Black Book of Connections.  It is so good, it takes up the inside front cover and the first page of his book.  “All things being equal, people want to do business with their friends.  All things being not quite so equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends.”  How true this is!  Think about it.  If a movie critic tells you to see a movie, what are the chances that you are going to see it?  I know in my case, not very likely because so many times I have liked movies they have liked and have disliked movies they have given two thumbs up to.Now, let’s say your best friend tells you that you MUST see this movie.  The chances are you are going to see it.  Why?  Because they know you.  They know your likes and dislikes.  They know the types of movies you have seen in the past, and probably have shared some of those movies with you.  You trust their opinion.  You trust their referral.  You trust them.  Does that happen overnight?

The same is true of relationship networking.  We each need to turn to our trusted friends when we are looking for a professional for our business or personal life.  I do not want to trust my car, the one that I drive or the ones my children drive, to someone that does not have my best interest in mind.  Brian and Glenn Moak of Duxler Tire and Car Care take care of all our cars because we trust them.  They have the best interest of my family in mind and only do the work that is necessary at a reasonable price.  Are they the cheapest?  Probably not, but my safety is not based on being the cheapest.  I trust the Moak family with my families safety.

Holly Kahan of Holly Barry House is my Corporate Gift professional.  I trust Holly to send the most appropriate gifts to people in my network at the price I have designated.  Holly’s unique gift of finding the best words to go on the card makes her a strategic power partner for my business and a friend.  Is she the cheapest?  Probably not, but I know that Holly is providing an outstanding service to my clients and friends that has spanned over time.  Never have I been disappointed.

If you are like me, you probably didn’t think about Long Term Care Insurance.  I’m healthy.  I won’t need it.  But at some point in our lives, someone close to us has a problem that needed to kick into their Long Term Care Insurance and you start thinking about your own life.  I thank goodness for Dean Klassman of Klassman Financial.  Dean is a wonderfully giving individual who never stops thinking about how he can help other people.  The first time Dean and I sat down, within 10 minutes he got me a speaking engagement.  When I needed to buy Long Term Care Insurance, why would I look anywhere else?  Is he the cheapest?  Probably not, but I understand what I bought and the benefits I will receive.  Dean took the time to educate me and I made the decision to buy from a friend.

Do you listen to your friends?  Do you know what they do and how to refer them?  Do you know what type of clients are their best clients?  Do you know what type of clients are their nightmare clients?  Do you refer your friends?

Boomerang Networking is all about giving, giving and giving more without asking for anything in return.  We should all be building stratetic alliances with our friends - whether they be friends in business or in our personal lives.  My friends are my friends.  There is no separation.  What about you?