It has been said that people do business with people they like and trust. I have found that the best way to grow a business is to be authentic with your clients. Be a real person, not a stereotype of what you think they expect from you. Be yourself. Be fun. Be happy. Make them laugh. Make them smile. Ease their day. Be interested, genuinely interested. Know their name. Care, really care about them and have a genuine desire to make their day better. Do your best to make their life better because you were a part of it. And do it all with enthusiasm.

Success in life is largely the result of the relationships we have with others. Businesses aren’t built on company to company relationships, but rather it’s the person to person relationships that determine success. Each person in an organization who interacts with someone at another organization is the key to whether that client loves the company or not, and whether they want to continue to business with a company or not. Because people do business with people they trust and people they like. And that is why it’s that special personal touches that you do for people that will make all the difference in the world to your success and the success of a company or organization.

It’s the little things that matter most. Remember birthdays. Send written cards to say thank you or just to say that you care. Send flowers for meaningful life events. Give small meaningful gifts that show you appreciate them. Send a text or an email once in a while just to say you are grateful for them. Let them see that you genuinely care.

Never lose sight of the importance of relationships.

~Amy Rees Anderson