Izrunas Consulting Group

The core of any long-term business plan is the establishment and maintenance of one to one relationships. Whether you apply this principle in the way propose in the great book, "The One to One Future" by Peppers & Rogers, or in the sense applied by BNI (Business Network Internartional), it really comes down to relationships.  The relationships we have with our customers and the relationships we have with friends and colleagues.

In the modern Internet era of automation and self-service, it is critical to maintain these personal relationships despite the impersonality of a computer screen.  With the deluge of spam emails and ever-increasing numbers of ads and commercials, most people do business with people they know or who their friends know.  After all, its a great way to figure out someone's credibility when someone you already trusts recommends someone to you--or you to someone they know.

"The One to One Future" promoted the idea of "mass customization" as a way to better connect with a client to make them feel like they are valued by the company trying to sell to them.  For example, Dell offers computers that are "built just for you" and they help you choose which PC to buy based on a series of questions relating to how you plan to use the PC, not how many gigs of whatever you may think you want.  The result is a more enjoyable buying experience for a product which intimidates many people--which results in customer retention by Dell.

BNI promotes "One to Ones" as the primary way its members work together to pass qualified business referrals back and forth to everyone's benefit.  In this approach, a balance between personal connection and business focus helps to create an enjoyable referral-oriented experience.  Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, has written extensively on the benefits and values of deep relationships that result in referrals-- the advocacy of really getting to know someone and to offer to help them even before they ask.  BNI is founded on a principle of "Givers Gain" and offers a viable alternative to traditional sales models which rely on cold calling, mass mailings, or other low-return marketing efforts.