by Jason Humrichous

With everything going on in the market we are dusting off some of our classic business development tools. Relationships matter! Nothing we do is really just a transaction no matter how much at times we want it to be or we try to systemize or automate the process. It still comes back to serving people and caring for them.

About three years ago I was introduced to the book Giftology by John Rulin. I was so thankful to have someone put to words what I have loved to implement for years as a business owner.

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The old quote is still true “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. In the book, John speaks to the need to care about the person more than you care about yourself by giving something that they care about.

As a business owner and the creator of our brand, there is not much more I care about in our little business than the brand. I consider myself the “Brand Ambassador”. That being said, when you think of that one client that you are trying to attract, think about what they care about and find that gift that they love.

I love it when Gary Vaynerchuck talks about Facebook stalking someone to discover what they love and then sending them a gift that represents that something. I’m not alone when it comes to caring about our brand. If someone has developed a brand and worked late hours and long days to see it succeed they love their brand.

Just around the time I read through Giftology, we were doing a project on Geist Reservoir. It was a pretty big project. I was really grateful for the work and the relationship that had grown out of the project.

While I was at the lady’s house I saw she was flying proudly an IU flag. I began to think about the principles that John talks about in the book and was trying to come up with a creative way to catch her as a client for life.

While heading on spring break, it was my wife’s turn to drive and I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a friend of mine was making corn hole boards. I thought how cool would it be to make a set of custom boards with the IU brand right on them and gift them to her.

So I did just that. Since then I have given approximately 30 sets of corn hole boards and bags to many of our partners and clients. I challenge you to get John’s book and work through it while thinking about your clients.

I love the old saying “I come to you hat in hand”. That saying represents a humble approach to your clients and to the people who you are working with. Humility is a core value around our place. How much better would it be if you had a gift in that hat?

If you need an idea, Remington Ramsey has the “Claim a Frame” program. It’s a great start for those that maybe need a kickstart.