Gving Thanks

What will you be thankful for when you get together with friends and family this Thursday? Given the terrible tragedy that 2009 represents to my family and me, I am grateful that it’s almost over. On the other hand, this year is also marked with triumph.

Starting Milestone Marketing Associates has proven to be a daily challenge and a constant joy. I often feel like I’m riding on an emotional rollercoaster. Between the highs and lows; however, is the constant thrill of anticipation.

I am thankful for the freedom to choose with whom I spend my time. Since my brother passed away in May, I have often said the brush with mortality helped me prioritize the people in my life. I was referring to people already closest to me – my family and friends.

Now that I have immersed myself in the business of networking, I am coming to a new realization about relationships and sales. While I’ve known for a long time that sales are built on relationships, in reality I’ve only been a spectator. Things are different now that I have to dance for my dinner.

Back during planning mode, my business consultant often said you have to “kiss a lot of frogs” when you’re first starting out. The idea being that once you’re established you can be more choosey about your clients.

What I realize now is that the “frog” doesn’t refer to a kind of person, but rather a type of business. In other words, if the ideal client is a software company, or some other type of business that has some inherent appeal, then the frogs refer to the other clients – the ones you take on because you need the work.

The point is the people you work with are not the frogs. These relationships are built on common ground, similar interests, and mutual respect. That’s the constant thrill of anticipation. Not if the next business I run into is a frog, but whether the owner is a prince, or princess, basically just someone I want in my life.

As a business owner I recognize that I have a greater degree of freedom when it comes to making those decisions. That is why I am thankful – the triumph of starting this business and the freedom it gives me to choose.

Until next week,
Matthew Anderson, President
Milestone Marketing Associates, Inc.