Many years ago, when I (as Billy Joel once said) wore a younger man’s clothes, I would visit my client “Lucille”. “Lucille” was the Purchasing agent at a small company located just a few minutes away from my office.

And speaking of office, Lucille’s office was rather small and she shared it with a woman we shall call “Linda”.

Now whenever I came to visit “Lucille”, I would make sure I would somehow include “Linda”.  It might be as simple as a “hello” or “goodbye”. Perhaps it was as bold as a “How are you Linda?” and then caring enough to listen to the answer. Sometimes it was including her in a joke or a story.

One day I get a call from “Linda” informing me that “Lucille” had left the company and that I was speaking to  the new Purchasing Agent.

We met up later that day discuss needs and capabilities. She told me, that she was always impressed by the way I genuinely cared and had even heard nice things from the receptionist about Paul Castain.

Over the next few months the amount of printing they bought from me increased dramatically and “Linda” even did something rather cool for me after I became a Dad for the first time.

She asked me to drop by her office and handed me an envelope with a rather large check which brought them up to date with their balance.

The funny thing is, they always paid their bills on time and this was payment on invoices I had only sent out the week before!

She told me that it was her way of thanking me for always caring about them.

So here’s the point of this rather simple tale . . .

Don’t ever focus all your attention, your interest and Jedi like rapport building skills on the bearer of the PO.

Influencers and future leaders are everywhere and methinks they are watching you my friend!