Spring Planting

It's late January and my natural inclination is to hibernate (or curl up with a good book and wait till spring). One of the tricks I use to get through the gray days is to look at all the gloriously colorful seed catalogs that arrive in my mailbox. They "plant the seeds" of possibility of amazing things ahead, of the bounty of the summer garden.

Last week our team helped "plant the seeds" of a long-term relationship with one of our client association's new sponsors. Our client team had made contact with a new company (new to the association) and sold them on the opportunities the association could provide them. The company was going to start out small, "testing the waters" by exhibiting at the upcoming annual conference. E-mails and phone calls went back and forth, and it turned out they had an overstock on a product that our association members might be able to use. We discussed ways to offer this free product/service to the members. More e-mails and phone calls followed, and it was decided that we would send all members info about this offer through - you guessed it - an e-mail! Additional info would be included in upcoming e-newsletters.

In my follow-up with the company rep, he was very appreciative of our efforts on behalf of our members and his company. And that's when I "planted the seeds" for future opportunities to "grow" his company's relationship with the association.

Because he was so pleased with our work on behalf of the association and because he sees the benefits of supporting it - for his company and our members - he agreed to provide more support for the association. The company is "planting its own seeds" through advertisements in two upcoming association publications.

Thanks to great client teamwork, an association that has much to offer its members and sponsors, and a company that is receptive to new opportunities, my spring planting is off to a good start.