Your Weakest Connection?

As I first learned in the book Linchpin, Ed Sutt made small changes to an everyday item and, in the process, invented a revolutionary device that will save countless lives.

You see, Ed Sutt invented a better nail.

And yes, this has PLENTY to do with building your business.

Here's the story, from Popular Science:

In 1995 a Clemson University graduate student named Ed Sutt took off for a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Caribbean. But beaches and rum drinks weren’t on the agenda for this civil engineer. Hurricane Marilyn had just torn through St. Thomas, and Sutt was part of a team examining how and why 80 percent of the island’s homes and businesses had collapsed in the storm’s 95mph winds.

   “The destruction was so complete in places that it was almost surreal,” Sutt recalls. “There were troops in the streets and military helicopters hovering overhead.” As Sutt moved through the wreckage of roofless and toppled-over houses, he was struck by the sense that much of the destruction could have been avoided. “In house after house,” he says, “I noticed that it wasn’t the wood that had failed -- it was the nails that held the wood together.”

Get that?

A house is as strong as its weakest nail, just as a chain is as strong as its weakest link. Weak connections lead to catastrophic failures.

Now.

Think about your business. Does it ever feel like you're facing hurricane-force winds?

If so, you may fear that your business is failing.

But ... perhaps, it's not your business that's failing. Perhaps it's what's holding your business together that's failing. And that would be relationships.

Relationships hold a business together, just as nails hold a house together.

The more personal relationships you have -- with clients, vendors, partners, bloggers, followers, church/temple/mosque members, et al -- the stronger and more resistant to headwinds your business will be.

Think: Where are your relationships weakest? In your:

• networking?
• strategic partnerships?
• follow-up with prospects?
• client service?

Your weakest relationships could lead to a catastrophic failure in your business.

You might want to nail them down.

Bio: Kevin Donlin can help you grow your business and enjoy the results your hard work deserves. To learn how to boost your revenues and profits faster, please click here.