OSTROW ADVISORY

Take your time and be prepared for every encounter. We all know you only one opportunity to make a first impression. Nothing worse than showing up for a call, zoom or meeting to find the people on the other end have no clue. 

Each and every introduction is a reflection of you. Think about it before you offer to connect people. There should be.a reason. As the person making the connection it is your responsibility to explain the reason for the introduction and why you believe a good fit. When good people get together good things happen.

It is easy to say that we express ourselves in heartfelt ways to people. But do you really? While it may be uncomfortable or you might be unsure of what and how to say it, it has been proven for generations that people respond to gratitude, humility and empathy. Let them know how you really feel and watch what happens.

Your intuition will guide you every step of the way. Be sure to listen to this inner voice and not override your first impression. While earning new business is great, what comes along with it is the responsibility of managing relationships. If someone is a pain in the ass early, walk away. They will always be a pain in the ass.

Part of building any business is finding people who can refer business to you and vice versa. Regardless of what industry these synergistic relationships exist. Cultivating even one truly strategic alliance cal change the trajectory and move the needles in meaningful ways. one wealth manager I know has > $3B under management...all of it as a result of one great center of influence.

Pipeline management is critical for anyone doing outreach for any reason. The greater the attention to detail, the greater the result. To an extend, "it's a numbers game" is at ;east partially true. Staying organized means you never need to get organized and there are simple ways to make it all happen without stress. How you do anything is how you do everything.

This is an expression which gets thrown around far too much. Showing up differently too. Being truly memorable and touching someone in an unprecedented way. As an example, I am one of one person on planet earth who has planted a tree with Evander Holyfield (see pic below). The craziest ideas are the ones which live forever. 

If you are not using AI at this point, start sooner than later. The power of the technology is incredible and can be harnessed in so many ways. To leverage this efficiency and highly personalize the work product is the best of both worlds. Another way of deliver a personal touch in the digital age.

Stop sending holiday cards in November and December. 

Stop sending people stuff with your company's logo and branding (unless it is exceptional). 

While you should be proud of your brand, no one else cares. 

What is your desired outcome? If your answer is to build a relationship, add value and go from there you've won already. For those who have a specific desired outcome, open-honest communication is critical to efficient dialogue and moving the ball down the field. 

Too many people and organizations set up an outreach program which is scheduled liek a flow chart. It is very easy for anyone to decipher what is programmed versus organic engagement. I cannot point to any meaningful relationship which is the result of a cadence. Change it up...

Whenever you feel like you are done, make one more call.

Successful people go the extra step. 

"If you live for weekends and vacation, your shit is broken" 

-Gary Vaynerchuk