Those of you who have been diligently following my blog have read about my changing philosophy on marketing over the last few months and my efforts to concentrate on networking so that it is my firm’s primary source of lead generation. I’ve invested in LinkedIn upgrades and devoted one day a week to reaching out and connecting to new people from industries that complement my own firm’s areas of interest. These connections have led to meetings over coffee where I’ve shared my firm’s basket of skills and listened intently as my counterpart shared their own firm’s skill set. In most cases there is a mutual consensus that we would make great power partners for each other. However, there are those rare times when only one firm would benefit from a relationship with the other. It is those times that either I or my counterpart have to decide if we want to be involved in a one sided business relationship rather than a win-win relationship.
For myself and my firm I have decided that it doesn’t always have to be about business and money. Sometimes it is just about being a good person and doing something that will help another person or firm succeed. Don’t get me wrong, I as much as the next person or business want to generate additional revenue but I’m just not inclined to do so at all costs. I believe that business leaders must have a social conscience and when possible use their networking connections to help others just for the pure joy of knowing that they have done something honorable.
So far my offers to help have been met with reactions of surprise and even some skepticism. So rare is it to have a stranger offer to help that people are taken totally off guard. I find it sad that our society has become so callused to the needs of other that there is no concern for a person or businesses fate. What society is failing to recognize is that for each person or business that succeeds there is one more contribution to the Gross National Product and with each new addition our economy strengthens. So while it isn’t always about the money, if we help it very well could come back in time as more business.
