The Stupidity of Not Building Trust

The azaleas are in bloom and the crepe myrtles are putting on new leaves. Spring gardens have been going in all over Florida for a while now.

We’ve been getting ready around our house – pulling weeds, turning the soil in the garden beds, buying replacement parts to repair and expand our irrigation system.

This past weekend, I got up early and picked up two cubic yards of landscaping soil to fill new garden beds and add to old ones.

Honestly, it would be nice to not have to do this.

Buying in bulk isn’t terribly expensive, but it’s still a cost. But more so the time and effort of raking, shoveling and wheelbarrowing (yes, that’s a real word) literally a ton of the local peat/woodchip/compost blend.

And my cute little compost elves? Let’s just say the novelty of being king and queen of the soil pile wore off reeeaaal quickly.

But it would be stupid not to do this.

Yes, we make our own compost, but a year’s worth isn’t enough to fill a single bed. And our native backyard soil in this part of Florida is, well, sand.

We have to amend it and build it up.

If we don’t, it takes more water, more fertilizer, and more work down the road to get the same yield. The soil just won’t maintain its fertility.

It’s funny to me how many people will go into a new space – be it a new market, new organization, new community – and not spend any effort “preparing the soil.” They just go for the sale.

For some, it’s just ignorance. For others, it’s a weird sense of entitlement. Like people just owe them business.

But in business and in life, preparing the soil is all about building trust and credibility.

And that doesn’t just happen. You have to put the effort in.

You have to show up. Develop familiarity and common experience. Demonstrate common values and beliefs.

You have to serve first.

Of course, that’s an overstatement. You don’t HAVE TO serve first. People come in and just pull out whatever value they can all the time.

But it’s not sustainable. And when their reputation and opportunities start to wither, they move on, always chasing more "fertile ground."

Better to put the work in on the front end, and build a brand that can maintain its trust and credibility for the long haul.

Now go get your hands dirty,

-Will

#sales #marketing #strategy #business #clientcultivation #clientcultivationcycle #preparationtuesdays