People, trust and doing business
When does a business become a friend? When does a friend become business?
This week a friend, who was a business associate, then a dear friend, shared a life experience. A car crash. Not one that he was in, but could have been in. There was fear, pain, experience and fear, again.
Then another, talked about how the people around him were anxious. He talked about how everyone he talked to were anxious about their lives and future. Questioning, will I have a job?? What is next?
Then on Facebook, another was talking about the perfect drink in the evening. An I was posting a picture of the nieces and nephews, all beautiful high school and college students… all joy.
The first expression was about pain and fear, the second anxious, the third group was joy. These are the lives of our customers and the people we do business with. It is what we carry to every day business. Some of us can leave it at home. But really, we carry it with us, quiet or buried. It is all part of the conversation we create. It is what makes us great or pathetic. It is life.
For me, I hope that my path is to be part of all the lives: the fear, the anxiety and the joy. All part of the world we live in.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
I like this post. A reminder that people are people, all with the same hopes/dreams. When you remember this in business you are much more likely to end up with lasting relationships that pay off many times over.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Thanks. We so much need to remember who we are and where we came from.