Tim Bursch

Tim: I love how you distilled the point so clearly. In a nutshell Push versus Share: trad'l sales cycle = push from a distance (b/c relationships not as critical) and push sale b/c that's ultimate end goal. In new world order, push is a bad word and you have to anticipate, respond, and go above and beyond to show you are true to your word (your walk matching your talk - and we all know there are lots of talkers and very few walkers). From my perspective, you can't "do" business anymore without developing relationships with people. Every person you meet and connect with (and enjoy) becomes a part of your network which then, over time, includes becoming investors (at some level: financial, moral support, connector, etc) in your work. Our "new" work is not only do what you say and say what you do (surprisingly hard for some); it is also do it well, do it with integrity, and do it as you would for the most important person in your life. Because that's what clients should feel like as much as possible. Maybe I'm extreme? But this is how I try to approach my business.

Nicole,
I just read your post-within-a-post. Wow. Thanks for expanding my thought. I totally agree.

Especially these two ideas:
-Relationships- Business is more and more horizontal and we want to know, really know, who we are dealing with. If you are a fake, we will find out and tell our networks.
-Walking the talk- I had a mentor once that said the best thing you can do to suceed in biz-->Do what you say you will do. I think it goes hand-in-hand with relationships and the transparent world we live in.
Your sharing is important.