Practice Management

  There can be a difference between network marketing and relationship building.  The former can become too artificial, too unnatural, less ductile or supple, or too much of a contraption, contrivance or device to be effective.  I do not care what you call it, but once the process becomes too methodical, too architectonic, or too tactical it will not work well.  It becomes advertising.

I know we are all about the future, we are all about the Third Wave, but I think that good old fashion relationship building is too often confused as being different from network marketing.  And then relationship building is look upon as being antiquated, out-of-date, and fusty -- vintage really.  It should not be.

Todays technology can certainly help you in maintaining relationships and it should be used.  But, the problem with many people's concept of network marketing is that they treat it as a game, or a wager.  When it lacks authenticity, concernment, consequence or interest it ceases to be palatable.  It also ceases to work as you would want it.

Think for a moment about how network marketing works for credit card companies and many large institutional clients.  It stinks because it is plastic (pun intended), and it does not relay any warmth, any concern, any real wisdom.  It is really limited to soliciting something from you.  That does not a relationship make.  The network techniques used almost defeat the purpose they were designed to achieve.  It becomes impersonal.

One thing that I try to do every day is to make sure I am working on building relationships.   Although many people would like to ignore the plain truth, law is a people-intensive business and we are actually in the business of fostering relationships.  Relationships necessary to obtain referrals.  Relationships necessary to settle cases.  Relationships necessary to proceed with a case when needed.  Once we believe our job is just to manage transactions we have a problem.  Our job, for success, is to foster these relationships.

In your network marketing or relationship building you need to be able to provide and accept useful information and services.  You need to be sincere.  You need to be personal.  What you are doing should not appear mechanical.