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Proverbs 27:19 "As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man." Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor." Have You Heard the Good News ... As It Relates to “Having a Servant’s Heart” ? • Sincere Gratitude and Thank-Yous I make a point to show mutual respect to everyone in my business by thanking them for the work they do. Even though I’m paying them, I still thank my employees when they do something for me. A lot of business owners don’t think they have to do this. “I’m already paying them,” they say. “Why should I thank them for doing their job?” Like I mentioned earlier, it’s not a lack of pay that creates low morale; it’s a lack of respect. Just thanking people for a job well-done and recognizing their efforts is an act of respect. • Handwritten Notes Thank-you notes are so rare these days that just taking the time to write one makes you stand out from the crowd. Because thank-you notes are so infrequent, people don't throw them away. It feels good to get a thank-you note, because it shows someone took the time to sit down and write something by hand to express their gratitude toward you. Handwritten thank-you notes are worth 100 times more than a thank-you text. • Gift Cards At my most-recent live event, I invited my real estate attorney to sit on a panel with me so we could answer questions and show the audience how we do business together. I did not expect her to come for free, but when I offered to pay her, she just shook her head and said, “No, Jay, I wouldn’t think of it!” Well, that was very kind of her, but I still wanted my real estate attorney to know how much I appreciated her time. I wrote a thank-you note and included a $100 gift card to her favorite restaurant so she and her husband could enjoy a nice meal together. It’s that little extra effort that shows your honest appreciation. 4. Make People Feel Important Just the other day, one of my staff members did a fantastic job on a project I had assigned. The project was for another department in my company, and she stepped up to help. Shortly after she completed
the project and sent it back, I got a call from the head of that other department. He spent the whole call bragging about her to me, saying what a wonderful, fantastic job she’d done. As soon as we got off the phone, I went straight to that staff member and told her about all the praise the department head had for her. Passing along the compliment made her feel important, and she deserved it. She did a really good job. Make sure everyone knows their efforts and accomplishments are recognized. 5. Be a Connector When I say, “Be a connector,” I’m talking about referrals. By referring other people to your various business colleagues, you bring added value to your relationship by garnering more support for their business. I’ve given out referrals to my real estate attorney, interior decorator, contractors, and just about anyone I do business with when I have the opportunity. Keep in mind that you can’t just pass out someone’s business card and call it good. If you have the opportunity to refer someone to a colleague, you have to do it right. Here are the steps you should take to give a referral. Step 1 - When you give the person who needs the referral your colleague’s contact info, ask permission to give their contact information to your colleague, too. They’re going to say yes because they have a problem that needs solved. Step 2 - As soon as they give you permission, contact your colleague and give that information to them immediately. I usually call, though sending an email may be more appropriate in some cases. Step 3 - Don’t forget to use the magic phrase, “They are expecting to receive your call.” People love to hear this phrase because it makes them feel important. Not long ago, we had a visitor at our church who was new in town. This visitor learned from other church members that I do a lot of business, so they came to me and asked if I knew a good attorney they could work with. Of course, I referred them to my attorney, using the steps I outlined above. Both this visitor and my attorney were delighted. This is what it means to be a connector. I literally opened the door and connected two people to do business together. You’ve probably noticed that these practices aren’t processes. For maintaining business relationships, you can’t make a checklist that you cross off steps and forget about. These are habits you need to develop until they become second nature. People can tell when you’re not being genuine, when you’re just going through the motions because you want something and not because you care about them. Business relationships, much like
personal relationships, last when you genuinely and sincerely care about the other person.
–Jay Conner
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