Relationship Before Sales

Jesse Itzler shares his philosophy on building authentic relationships and creating goodwill through intentional, consistent actions. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining connections without expecting immediate returns, and how this approach has been fundamental to his business success.

Key Points:

• Daily Relationship Building Practice:

  • Spend 3 minutes each day reaching out to people
  • Plant "permission slips" through brief, meaningful interactions
  • Goal: Send 1,000 touchpoints per year

• Three Core Relationship Actions:

  • Compliment: Recognize and acknowledge others' achievements
  • Congratulate: Celebrate others' successes
  • Console: Support people during difficult times
    • People never forget who reaches out during tough times
    • Those who don't reach out "don't get a pass"

• Communication Methods (In order of impact):

  • Handwritten letters - highest impact due to effort required
  • Personal calls
  • Text messages
  • Year-end practice: Write 25-50 handwritten thank you letters

• Building Authentic Connections:

  • Don't expect immediate responses
  • Create "permission" for future interactions
  • Focus on genuine, authentic relationships vs. transactional ones

• Business Impact:

  • Used handwritten letters as primary marketing strategy in early career
  • Wrote approximately 10 letters per day
  • Strategy effective for cutting through digital noise
  • Everyone reads handwritten letters, unlike emails that may be filtered

• Long-term Relationship Building:

  • Multiple touchpoints over time create stronger connections
  • Combine different types of outreach (congratulations, support, appreciation)
  • Focus on building authentic relationships rather than just connections

The approach emphasizes consistent, genuine interaction without immediate expectation of return, leading to stronger, more meaningful business and personal relationships over time.