Lately I’ve run into some interesting situations regarding business loyalty. I totally get that there is little loyalty between employees and employers or between consumers and product companies. But one place there is loyalty is in small business. And it is a wonderful thing!
For instance, it was a no-brainer recently when a client needed a service. We looked through their customer base, found the people that could provide it and done. Everyone was a winner and not only did they get the service they needed, they got a meeting with someone they hadn’t been able to meet in the past because now they had multiple relationships. On the flip side, a non-profit I work with didn’t look through their membership database and ask for bids on a project and have now lost several members because of it.
The challenge is, if you don’t know what your customers do, it is tough to show your loyalty. The same happens if you sit on a board or belong to an organization. If you never bother to find out what the people do for a living, you have no idea what the possibilities are.
So spend some time understanding what your customers, business advisors and mentors really do and review it often. When a situation arises, whether it is for your business or someone else’s, make sure you use those who help you stay in business. If you use that philosophy, you will be seen as a loyal colleague and not just a vendor.
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