I just got a (spam) email from a company that is located in China (at least that is what they said) for photo and video editing services. When I received the email, I was a little intrigued and thought "maybe this is a good way to save money." I guess that is what they hoped; but, I deleted the email anyway. Sure, we pay more to use local service providers. But in many cases, we have met them and know who we are dealing with. We also know that there is a much better chance in getting a problem resolved when we are dealing with someone local. This really got me thinking about the power of relationships. A relationship is about trust and I need to trust people I do business with.

If your industry is prone to overseas companies undercutting prices, think about how you can build or improve your relationships with your clients and prospects. Even better, ramp up your networking and your marketing so you are in a better position to build new relationships. I don't know about you, but I know that if I can get in front of someone, I feel really good about my ability to develop a profitable and mutually beneficial business relationship. Even with email and Skype, it is pretty hard to do that when you are 8,000 miles away.


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