Relationship Essential Marketing is a term I use to describe a strategy that enables you to look at your marketing efforts as a ‘whole’, and not several different unrelated marketing strategies. One must become an integrated part of his/her marketing approach, and brand oneself. When you brand yourself, you become a real person, true to yourself, and others. You are not trying to hide behind any marketing techniques, but you are genuinely being yourself. In turn, you will become a real person, especially if you are marketing online. As a school counselor working more than 35 yrs. with students, I realized the importance of developing a relationship with my students. I had to learn their needs and basic desires before I could develop a positive relationship with my students. Desires and needs are acquired by a person throughout his/her life such as: 1. the need for power, approval, recognition, ego gratification, liberty and freedom, and of course physical needs. There are five key factors as a counselor I used to guarantee that I am interested in my student problems: 1. I needed to be genuinely interest in what my student had to say about his problem. 2. Be a good listener. I must watch for what my students does say as well as what they do not say. Patient is very important. 3. Encourage student to talk about their selves. 4. Find an interest so you can find out what they want. I never tell my student what I want, they could care less. 5. Lastly, I make my student feel important, I will stroke and feed his/her ego, and do it sincerely. I believe that I need to use this same approach with my business dealings with others, fostering and developing a relationship of sharing and giving value to others. I called this a relationship essential marketing approach to developing a great partnership with others, rather than forcing others to join my business or buy my products.

D DOWDY