What Goes Around . . .

Here is a topic I have been wanting to get around to for awhile. Has this ever happened to you?
 
You are working closely with someone who needs you. Maybe you are on the client side of a relationship or helping someone as a mentor. At some point, for whatever reason, the table turns, but when you call or try to make contact, it is as if the person you helped has forgotten the whole thing.
 
They have “traded up,” so to speak, and have somehow come to the conclusion that they should only be spending time with people who can immediately benefit them.
 
While some folks like this are just ingrates and what goes around will eventually come around, the reason I am writing this is that I think some of them, and probably all of us at some point, are just not aware we are offending people in this manner.
 
We are all busy trying to succeed, to get ahead, and as we increase the number of our relationships and, perhaps, meet ever more influential people, it can be hard to stay in touch with everybody.
 
Hard . . . but not that hard.
 
The Mr. Shmooze philosophy is based upon developing deep and lasting relationships, and around the concept that everyone is important.
 
That means returning calls, offering encouragement, particularly during these challenging times, helping somebody find a job, giving some direction to a young person coming out of college and so on.
 
It means remembering every person we interact with is the face of a huge network whose opinion of us will be driven by that person.
 
And it is good business. I certainly value and respect my relationships with the powerful and influential people in my life, but I get all sorts of leads and new contacts, every day, from people in all walks of life.
 
As for the people who misuse and discard relationships, what can I say? Nothing.
 
And as a salesperson, I hope that is not what people are saying about me.