…today’s secret…“I know a guy.”

In the movie Ocean’s Eleven George Clooney answered Andy Garcia’s question of how George could get Andy’s money back by saying, “I know a guy who knows a guy.”

Andy was not interested in George’s relationships. Andy wanted it back now.

Hang with me here. I’m sneaking up on a point.

In our private little world we are both transactional and a relationship buyers. Not one OR the other. BOTH.

Transactional buyers desire a lower price. They are attracted by price alone and will abandon a supplier for the same reason. They will spend time to save money. They’ll drive to Wal-Mart tomorrow to save a few cents on the toothpaste they could have bought at Kroger today. There is no relationship, only the buy. Short-term thinking. A one-night stand so to speak.

Relational buyers are looking for someone they can trust. Relational buyers are attracted by the expertise and will only abandon a supplier when the supplier screws them over. They will spend money to save time. They’ll drive a long way for the right doctor or accountant. Maybe call the same plumber or electrician. It’s all about the relationship. Long-term thinking. A courtship so to speak.

You need to look at your own purchasing habits to determine where you prefer your one-night stands and where you prefer your courtships.

Why is this relevant? The tech revolution of the 1990s changed how much we buy in each mode.

Between the end of WWII and the mid-1990s 6 out of 10 of our purchases were relational. From the early 2000s to today it flipped…6 out of 10 purchases we make today are transactional buys.

Today’s helping organizations get bombarded by transactional ads from transactional suppliers promising a faster onboarding, souped-up software, cloaked data collection, or some innovation that better helps churn people thru the system.

Intentionally or unwittingly, it’s easy for an organization to fall into the trap of becoming a transactional organization in delivering its services.

Here’s my today’s point…We humans have a need to belong. We are hardwired to be seen and heard. We want to be missed when we are not around. We want to be connected.

The ‘marginalized’ people you are helping are like you, both transactional and relational. They are extremely price conscious, but, deep down, they want a relationship with you. They want to know who you are, what you believe, and how you think.

Successful organizations who transform lives understand that their organization needs to be relational. They create a company culture that causes all who work within its walls to take pride in delivering a relational experience.

When people who need what you do ask their George Clooney where they should go for help, you want their George to say, “I know a guy.”

And, that guy is you!