There’s Networking, and then there’s Relationship Building.

They both have their place in business to be sure.  But, what is the difference?  In business most Relationship Building starts with Networking.  Networking is certainly critical, as it is the initial contact, the handshake, the exchange of names, business cards, and hopefully enough interaction that the seeds of a possible relationship have been planted.

Relationship Building however goes beyond Networking.  Once the seed is planted it needs to be nourished, taken care of, supported.  Attention needs to be paid to it.  If not, it withers and dies.  Relationship Building requires Follow Up, and a lot of “Just Because” attitude.  If you are building the relationship purely for the purpose of getting business it just won’t be the same, no matter how hard you try.

I love the mantra that I always hear at Corporate Alliance functions such as the recent Reunion Tour held at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, “Every opportunity has it’s root in a relationship!”  Now, break that down a little and you will realize that the relationship comes first, then potentially an opportunity.  It is NOT the manufacture of an opportunity through a contrived relationship.

So, be genuine.  Be sincere.  Network?  Yes, but don’t stop there.  Build relationships, learn about others, seek opportunities to serve them “just because”, and your relationships, both business and personal, will experience significant growth.  As a side benefit to those quality relationships you never know what opportunities may come your way.

To Your Success!

Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  We all know that.  But did you know that  “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people?” (Victor Borge, 1909-2000)

There is tremendous power in laughter.  Human Beings are so-wired that we need to have fun and laugh and smile. In fact, we are hard-wired for this. It is a proven fact that just smiling, even when you don’t feel like doing so, will release a small amount of endorphins in the brain, the very chemical that causes us to feel good. Keep smiling long enough, and eventually you really do feel like smiling. Add laughter to that equation and look out, you’re feeling pretty great before you know it.

So, what if you are sharing smiles and laughter with another person?  What happens when two people are simultaneously experiencing the sense of well-being that comes from laughing?  Those two people are drawn closer together.  Laughing together with another person strengthens bonds, including bonds that are brand new and just forming, and shortens the distance between them.

This applies in the world of business as much as any other part of life.  I know we tend to think of business as “serious stuff” but business is all about relationships, and influence.  We have more influence with those we are close to.  We draw closer to those that make us feel good when we are around them.  The distance is shortened significantly when we laugh and share good humor with one another.

So, lighten things up.  Have a laugh or two with your prospects, clients, and associates.  I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to improve your business relationships and your influence with others.

To Your Success!

Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

The Core 4: Principles of Success (V⁴)

I. Vision: To have vision one must see things clearly, or in other words, as they truly are. It starts with discovering the truth about yourself, your desires, and your purpose, who and how you desire to be. Be a Visionary for your own life (discover and clarify your own personal Mission, Vision, Values, & Strategy).

II. Voice: Who’s voice? Your Voice, Their Voice, The Individual Voice, The Group Voice. All voices must be heard, but even more important, they must be understood. Be a Communicator. To effectively communicate is to be in a state of intimate, heightened sensitivity and receptivity with another person or with one’s surroundings. (Empathy, Understanding, Connection, Influence).  Without effective communication there can be no understanding.  Without understanding there can be no trust.  Without trust there can be no influence.

III.  Vitality: To Live with Vitality is to live life being full of life. The Latin root of Vitality is “Vita”, which literally means Life. To be truly successful one must live life in a state of vibrancy; fully awake, fully alive, and balanced physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. These four areas of balance are absolutely essential to Vitality. Vitality is based on the principle of renewal. If you do not renew yourself then you will lose Vitality, and Quality of Life along with it.  You cannot truly be of service to anyone without excellent Vitality. This goes back to an old Chinese Proverb that says: “You cannot give from an empty vessel; to give to others, you must fill yourself.”

IV. Velocity: The Speed of Motion & the Force of Action required to break through Inertia and achieve Systemic Momentum.  To achieve Velocity one must have a Propulsion System. Only an effective system which is consistently adhered to can create the Perpetual Systemic Momentum (a.k.a. habits of effectiveness) needed to pull free from the inertia of life’s challenges and our own ineffectiveness. This system (a system of systems really) includes systems for Planning, Execution, Evaluation, Communication, Organization, Accountability, Follow-through, and others.

As illustrated in the diagram below, the intersection where personal application of these success principles meet is where success begins and where it is sustained:

In summary, there is no great mystery to success.  If you are not limiting yourself by negative thinking, if you believe you can have more, do more, be more, then all that is left is to apply The Core 4.  These timeless principles of success, when properly applied and lived by, are the very keys to unlocking success like you have never had before.

To your success!

Kip Kint

Success Coach & President

Mission Ignition

When something is both DIFFICULT AND “WORTH IT” your success with that thing will depend on your focus.  If you focus on the difficulty of the thing you are defeated before you begin, if you even begin at all.  If you focus on the fact that it is “WORTH IT” to you, then you are acknowledging up front that it is worth the effort required to overcome the difficulty associated with it.

Kip Kint, Success Coach

Kip has been coaching and training for ten years and has worked with over 3,000 clients in his career. He is a Certified Franklin Covey Coach and he spent 6 years coaching on the Franklin Covey Coaching staff prior to his retirement in 2003. In addition to being a coach he is also the President and Owner of Mission Ignition. Kip is very passionate about positively impacting the lives of others.

While at Franklin Covey, Kip coached on the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, “First Things First” and “Principle-centered Leadership”, all by renowned author and effectiveness expert Stephen R. Covey. In addition, he is a Coach’s Coach, having coached and trained dozens of other prospective coaches to become skilled coaches themselves and establish their own coaching practices.

Kip is also highly experienced in coaching Project Management, Goal Setting and Accomplishment, Time Management, Career/Business Success, Life Balance, and Financial Freedom. He was the first to reach the level of Master Coach within the Franklin Covey Coaching organization.

Kip is a trained “Rich Dad” Coach and was one of the first coaches ever to coach the “Rich Dad” Coaching Program based on the best-selling book by Robert Kiyosaki, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and his financial education game “Cashflow 101″, designed to help people change their financial paradigms leading to financial freedom.

Now semi-retired, Kip maintains a deep passion for coaching and continues to coach a select group of highly motivated clients. He also enjoys his various ventures in real estate, investing, and business. He is owner of several businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. Kip has been married for 17 years to his wife Becky and has five children (3 girls and two boys). He is an avid sports enthusiast, and loves going to the movies and reading.