kindle (kind’l) v. – To ignite. To catch fire. To stir up. To arouse.   On New Year’s Day, I thought a lot about my business relationships, and in particular, those that could have progressed more in 2002.  Many of those relationships now need kindling, that is, they need a spark to bring the growth and success back into them – a spark that will allow the relationships to reach their full potential.    Some of my relationships are “broken” and in need of repair.  Others have been neglected.  A few of these relationships were just starting out, but one of the relationship partners neglected to follow up.  Unfortunately, other relationships did not thrive because one partner took the other for granted.    I started thinking about how wonderful many of my relationships were in the past and how great they could be in the future.  I began thinking about how relationships catch fire, get stirred up, and aroused in a positive way.  Thinking about the "magic" of current and past relationships made me want to rekindle many relationships in 2003.    Strong relationships are characterized by respect, support, information, and commitment.  Communication is open and candid, with relationship partners always looking for ways to assist each other.  Time is always scarce, but when a relationship is treasured, the partners always seem to find or make time for one another - no matter how pressured or demanding their immediate circumstances.    Maintaining strong business and personal relationships is key to achieving optimum performance and meeting our life’s mission.  But relationships do not always remain strong.  They can easily get off track and slacken.  Keeping relationships at optimum performance - like most things - requires work.    This year, I will try to be more systematic about my business relationships.  I have developed a systematic approach that may be helpful to you.  The approach involves: 1) identifying those relationships that are in need of rekindling; 2) prioritizing the ones to work on; 3) reviewing the mission and needs of relationship partners; 3) developing a plan to improve the relationship; and 4) taking action.    Here are more ways to rebuild relationships in 2003!   So Many Contacts, So Little Time   One of the greatest challenges related to rekindling relationships is finding the time to work on all of the relationships that need improving.  Start by looking at your relationship contact base.  You may have everything on one system, or if you’re like me, information is everywhere!  I like to take a look at every business card, computer software listing (e.g. Palm Pilot, Microsoft Outlook), phone book, spreadsheet, old calendars, and any other materials used to record  contact information.  Just looking at all of the names of your business contacts can be a worthwhile experience.   Be sure to go through call reports, computer files, and desk files on all customers, prospective customers, vendors, and referral sources.  Usually, these files contain valuable information regarding your most recent conversations, correspondence, frequency of contact, purpose of visits, and other useful bits of information.   Set Contact Priorities   Now that you have a handful of cards or a list of names, you need to determine who gets contacted.   I find it helpful to prioritize my contacts according to my business mission and goals. The beginning of the year is a perfect time to reflect on the vision of your business and personal life.  Your mission statements should provide you with focus on where and what you want to be, what you want to do, and what your core values are.   At the end of each quarter, I like to look at the calls I made to my business contacts.  By analyzing the number, frequency, and type of meetings I had, I am better able to manage my relationships, and invest my time and resources more productively.   When I prioritize my list, I like to start with existing and former clients - individuals and firms that have support me in what I do.  My strategic goal is to be available to my clients.  They come first.  Next on my list are prospective clients.  Usually I have gotten to know them but have not become involved in helping them achieve their missions.  Next, I look at my referral sources.  I may not transact business with them, but they help (or potentially can help) provide introductions and references to others in need of my services.  My final group of contacts includes vendors and other business contacts.   Remember, be strategic about determining which relationships are most important to you and your business.   How to manage your contacts strategically Define your business goals for the year and direct your efforts accordingly.  Begin by determining what you want to accomplish with each business relationship.  One way to begin the process is to categorize your contacts according to your mission. Categories of Relationships Existing and former clients Prospective clients Referral Sources Vendors and other business contacts   Understand Your Partner’s Missions   The identification and prioritization of relationship partners is based on our own business and personal missions.  What is also needed, and in some cases more so, is an understanding of the mission of your relationship partners.   My reasons for maintaining and growing relationships are often just that - my reasons.  But relationships must benefit both parties.  As you begin to look at the names you have assembled, think about each relationship partner’s mission and goals.  Relationship partners have different reasons for working with you and methods for determining the parties with whom they do business.   Documenting these distinctions will assist you in maintaining successful and mutually beneficial relationships.  This information is just as important to document as names, titles, phone numbers, addresses, products or services sold, top management, cost, and competition. Record it in a place that will frequently remind you of what is important to your contact.   I once thought a certain non-profit organization provided direct assistance to needy individuals.  Later, I discovered the organization’s mission was to affect government policy and to partner with other institutions that provide human services.  The correct information enabled me to offer the organization a set of services that were more in line with the organization's mission and core objectives.   Develop Relationship Objectives   Establish specific goals for each relationship.  These goals should not only meet your needs, but should address the mission, goals, and objectives of your relationship partners.  Goals also need to be accompanied by time frames for completion that can serve as a way to measure progress.        Relationship goals vary with each partner.  Take time to review each relationship.  Get feedback from your relationship partner as to their level of satisfaction with the relationship.  Document the specific measures and actions needed for you to meet your objective.  Below is an example of a relationship plan I use for key business relationships.     An Example of Guy Summer’s Relationship Plans Organization ABC Financial Relationship Objective Become a valued service provider and expert for the organization in the areas of diversity and development of minority managers. Measures Obtain a minimum of one contract for speaking, training, or coaching by 6/30/03. Actions Minimum of six visits in 2003, including two calls to ABC senior management and two calls that involve entertainment with my primary contact Monthly phone calls to my primary contact at ABC. Quarterly phone calls to secondary contact Interview primary contact for diversityinbusiness.com article in 1st Quarter of 2003 Generate minimum of two proposal letters by 3/31/03 - Refer two new business opportunities to ABC by year end 2003 Results (to be determined)   The great thing about putting a plan like this together is that it only takes a few minutes to do, but it can have tremendous impact on a relationship.   Start Kindling Now! (Take Action)   One of my favorite managers had a great saying, "DO IT NOW!"  Whatever you have decided to do to meet your relationship objectives, get started.   5 Ways to Kindle Relationships 1.  Direct contact (phone calls and visits) 2.  Indirect contact (mail, emails) 3.  Formal meetings 4.  Conferences and Training Sessions 5.  Meals and Entertainment   In addition to individual relationship objectives, be sure to set goals for the total number of contacts made.  I keep track of my relationship activities in a separate calendar.  I like to use a “week-at-a-glance” calendar to track individuals that I have contacted during the day, whether it’s by telephone, mail, or in person.  If you track your relationships electronically, keep the information current within your files.  You might also organize the information by relationship types of projects your involved with.  I find it helpful to establish separate client, prospect, vendor, and referral source files per project type.   Summary    Here are the five basic steps to rekindling your relationships:      1.  Identify under-performing relationships    2.  Determine which relationships are most important    3.  Understand the mission of your relationships partners    4.  Develop objectives for these relationships    5.  Implement your action plans   May the fire of your rekindled relationships keep you warm throughout the year. The End