What Is A Good Deal?

What is a good deal? I guess that depends on a lot of things. When Secretary of State William H. Seward purchased Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million he was branded a fool. Who would say today that he was wrong? Obviously, no one. It is much easier today to see the value proposition that it was in 1867.


Or, what about the stories of lawn sale or estate sale items that went for a few bucks and turned out to be rare and quite expensive pieces of art. I guess you would say that “Art is in the eye of the beholder.” No truer words have ever been spoken. Both buyer and seller looked at the same object and saw two totally different items worth very differing amounts to each. Each held a different value to be true.


And, to take this analogy even further afield....what about the value of a relationship? Yes I know there are many types of relationships. So let’s just focus on customer relationships. Do you have some customers that you do more business with than others? Most often that is the case. And it would most often also be true to say the customers that you do more business with you probably have a better relationship with as well. It sort of goes hand in hand. Give me more business and I in turn will give you more of my attention is generally the way it works.


So as you can see, there is also a value proposition to relationships. Good customers mean good relations. Pretty straightforward. But this is only part of the equation.


I would suggest that you strongly consider rethinking the axiom. I would suggest that if you really want to grow your business that you change the sequence. Reverse it. Good relationships mean good customers. Everyone would rather do business with someone they know verses a stranger, and the better you know someone and they know you, the more they can trust you, ergo: more business.


What I am saying is build the relationship first, the business will soon follow. You show you are worthy, your value proposition, and others will invest their trust in you. Give it a try; you might just be surprised at how many new friends and customers you will have gained. Now that is a good deal.

Do you agree or disagree with me?  Please comment.