The Desert of Arizona
Mostly Cloudy 56 Degrees
My wife is Italian… and that makes me Italian by marriage – at least when it comes to the food.
Some of the simplest recipes are the best. Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar could very easily be one of my four primary food groups.
But there’s a thing about basil… especially if you grow your own at home.
For best results, you harvest a LITTLE bit at time. If you take too much of the plant, there goes your future basil.
This is exact the same approach you use with clients. Since you “farm” clients, it should come as no surprise that you have to exercise the same discretion.
Give a lot, take a little. If you keep that ratio appropriately, relationships tend to last longer.
I didn’t realize this early on. Before I wised up, I was operating on the “get as much as you can as quickly as you can” wavelength.
Maybe that works in some businesses, but it doesn’t work with clients. It especially doesn’t work if you want them to stick around.