Is romance dead?
I recently fell into the Twilight series of movies, if you live under a rock like I apparently did, the movie is about a first love vampire relationship. After watching the movie, I started to think, is romance dead? Are those feelings of first love ever gotten again? Or maybe that’s why it is called first love. The more I thought about it, the more I asked around. After being in a marriage for 10+ years, kids, mortgage, running a business and life, I still questioned is romance dead. Or is it just asleep, ready to be awakened when the kids are gone and sleep becomes more consistent. Or has the romance grown into something else, something deeper than just a hormonal connection that you have as a teenager. I started to realize it was no different to a new relationship in the business. The feeling of excitement when you meet the potential customer for the first time and provide them with the solutions they need. That first date, that first sale. You jump through hoops to make them happy. You want their undivided attention and want to give them your undivided attention. As the relationship progresses, life gets in the way and the flame becomes a spark. It takes longer to get that quote out, and keeping that spark alive with new ideas gets harder and harder with other things filling up your day. But just like a long term relationship, I have to remember that this relationship is an investment. I am in it for the long haul and not a spring fling. You have to work at keeping the spark alive even more than before. Why do marriages end in divorce? The spark dies….and we look for others to start the spark again which can turn to a flame. We can’t let the spark die. We can’t lose the client just like you don’t want your marriage to die. We have to make the time to keep the spark alive. You send those thank you notes, the “I appreciate you” gifts. You go out to lunch and connect again and again and again. You listen to what the customer has to say. You put yourself out there and keep yourself available. You become more creative and realize that you have to treat them like “YOU are the only one. I am here for you” because in the end isn’t that what a relationship is about, being there for each other?
SINCE I'm so technically challenged...my first post didn't 'take', so here it is again! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's been wonderful to watch how you've grown and morphed over the years and how your philosophies have changed with your experiences! (however painful they might have been):)
The humor in business is what has to get us through and equating it to dating, is PERFECT!
Great writing! Look forward to the next one!