Politics is always a topic of discussion in my home and in my office.  Since Social Media mirrors life, my presence there is filled with political dialogue and the occasional barb.

Recently someone very close to me “unfriended” me on Facebook and blocked all contact with me as a result of my opinion about a political issue.  What follows below is my open letter to the people who remain connected to me in that venue.

An Open Letter to Those Who Remain My “Friends”

My Facebook page is a vehicle I use to start and continue discussions, promote my business, and keep up with real world friends and family. I blend all of those roles together, both here and in the real world.

Why?

I only have one life. I don’t spend part of my life working and not being a father, a son, a brother, a husband, etc.

When you come here, just like when you come to my home or my office, you will be exposed to my views. I do not expect you to agree with all of them. In fact, I do not require you to agree with any of them in order to be my friend.

Some of the people with whom I disagree most ardently are people for whom I have great affection. It is because we discuss these beliefs that we have a relationship of this depth.

My life experience has helped shape my point of view on many things, including politics. I respect the fact that your life experience has similarly shaped your beliefs. I want to hear about your experiences and how they have influenced you. If I don’t agree, and I say so, I will do so in a way that does not make you feel like less of a person.

Thank you for remaining connected to me in this particular venue.

I know it is far easier to skulk away, under the cover of cyber darkness and “unfriend” and/or “block” me. That’s an option you may choose. However if you go that route, you will likely subject yourself to a homogenized existence with friends who only share your world view.

Sharing opposing points of view, learning from others, and respecting the foundation of our friendship, are some of the true gifts that make life great.

Most of my clients want a sexy new internet trick that will help them get new clients.

The most successful business people I know still use lots of old fashioned strategies to attract clients and deepen relationships.

Here are three things you can do TODAY to attract more clients.

The good news: They require no investment whatsoever.

Talk to your clients.

Most people forget about their clients after they get their money.  What they don’t realize is that the relationship really begins when the check clears.  Your current clients have given you something more valuable than money…they have given you their trust.

The investment of trust can be your ticket greater lifetime relationship value. All that is required is that you nurture that relationship and continue to deliver outstanding value.

Talk to your client. Find out what you can do to make his life a little easier, make his business more successful and make him feel better about himself.

Shut up

When you enter into this conversation with your client, listen.  I mean really listen.

You should spend 70% of your time listening and only 30% of your time talking.

In a business relationship, the client only cares about you to the extent you can help him achieve his goals.  Do not delude yourself into believing he wants to hear about the procedure you just had to remove that anal polyp.

But if he wants to talk about his anal polyp, you better be ready with a referral to the best proctologist in town.

It’s not a pain in the ass.  It’s good business.

Let the client take credit.

Your business is a terrible place to get your ego stroked.

Always allow your client to take credit for any success achieved as a result of your mutual efforts.

I regularly give advice to lawyers, medical professionals and business leaders.  That advice, when well executed, results in significant improvement in income and lifestyle.

But I didn’t build that.  The client did.

My ideas are worthless without the client’s determination and fortitude.

I’m willing to bet it is the same in your business.

If it’s not, PRETEND it is.

Ego maniacs have skinny kids and lonely holidays.

Bask in the love and support of your family and friends and forget about taking credit for the success your clients achieve as a result of your efforts.

These three things are tough to do.  Most people can’t do them because they run counter to our nature.  If you want to stand out from the crowd and make a great living and live a great life® practice these three principles.  They will help you become magnetic.

Here are a couple of additional outstanding resources from Valtimax.com that will help you make a great living and live a great life®.

The Most Powerful Word in Business

Two little letters can make all the difference in your business career.

In fact, these two little letters can make all the difference in your quest to make a great living and live a great life.®

You will be amazed at the success that follows when you make the word “NO” your default response to all business requests.

Listen to this episode of the Valtimax Podcast and discover the one business strategy that can free up your time, help you make more money and earn you a place among business elite.

The Most Powerful Word in Business

Crackerjack Marketing Offers

Have you ever crafted the perfect marketing message and wondered why nobody responded?

Chances are good that people didn’t respond because your offer did not resonate with them.

Often times we move too fast – come on too strong – and push for a relationship before we have developed the trust that is essential to closing a deal.

My crackerjack marketing method will help you gently begin a relationship with a prospective client.

If you want to learn how it works, click the link below to watch this terrific video.

Crackerjack Marketing Offers

Waking up in the morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee is one of the little things in life that can make or break your day.

When I was a kid, there was no automatic drip coffee.  You couldn’t set a timer and wake up to a fresh brewed cup-o-Joe.   Back in the old days you had two choices:  1). A clunky percolator coffee pot or 2).Freeze-dried coffee.

The former provides a rich taste and the latter is bitter and full of chunks of crap that get caught in your teeth and make you want to vomit.

A percolator coffee pot works by boiling water at the bottom of the coffee pot and forcing it through the coffee chamber (which contains the ground up coffee) several times.  The bubbling action of this process gives the final product a rich flavor.  Since the coffee itself is stored in a compartment with holes in it, the water passes through it without picking up the grinds.  This is kind of a natural filter.

Freeze-dried coffee (also called instant coffee) is produced when the manufacturer places wet, low quality, coffee granules on large trays and blast-freezes them. The air is then sucked from the room to prevent condensation. The room is warmed up to dry the coffee and the resulting grounds are packaged for sale. When you get the package at home you dump it in some hot water and stir it until the chunks of coffee dissolve (some never do).

The challenge with percolator coffee is the time it takes to brew.  First the water needs to boil.  Next it needs to be forced through the coffee and finally it has to settle into the pot.   Great results but time consuming.

My disdain for Freeze-dried coffee is similar to my disdain for Freeze-dried relationships.

A great relationship starts with quality people.  Then it takes time to develop trust and deepen the relationship.  Finally, once you’ve been through some significant experiences, your relationship has settled to the point when it is rich and thoroughly appreciated.   This is the percolator method of relationship development.

A Freeze-dried relationship is just like Freeze-dried coffee.  A low quality person blasts their way into your life with some need/problem.  You mistake this desperation for actual interest in you and when you help resolve the issue, the air is sucked out of the relationship.  You are left standing there, picking chunks of crap out of your teeth wondering why you opted for that experience.

Most business people fool themselves into believing that Freeze-dried relationships are all that exist.  They are willing to pick crap out of their teeth all day long.  They tell themselves that percolator relationships are obsolete.  They take too much time…to select good quality at the start…to wait for things to heat up…to handle the inevitable boiling…and to let things settle to their natural, rich level.

That’s too bad because percolators make great coffee forever.  They’re made of steel and they require little maintenance.   The experience is rich and consistent, year after year.

Think about your relationships. Do you prefer consistency or would you rather be picking crap out of your teeth?

Here are some additional resources from www.Valtimax.com.

How to Get More Referrals

One of the ways to ensure your relationship percolates effectively is to be introduced by a trusted source (rather than blast into the picture).  These introductions are typically referrals from past clients. All of us would love more of them.

This is the most popular Valtimax Podcast I have done to date.  If you like getting more prescreened, presold, prospects walking in your door, you need to spend fifteen minutes with me.

Listen to this podcast now and then listen to it again later.  It is that good.

Get More Referrals Now

The Percolator Process for Marketing

This video demonstrates how you can use the percolator method in your marketing.  In four minutes I demonstrate how you can use a two-step approach to develop deeper relationships with your clients before they even walk into your office or business.

Two Step Marketing