Power Relationships summary

Some people like to make new friends every chance they get, while others are content with a small group of loyal friends. When building power relationships, you want to focus on quality over quantity.

It’s always better to have a small network of committed people than hundreds of contacts.

When people think about the benefits of networking, it’s usually about what they can get out of it. But when it comes to power relationships, it's all about what you’re giving.

This is why another rule of power relationships is to give people your confidence and unwavering belief.

Everyone likes a good shortcut, but the fact of the matter is, there’s no such thing as a shortcut to power relationships. These kinds of bonds require a strong foundation, and can’t be rushed.

For example, one day, a man by the name of Sal showed up at one of the authors’ offices. He started by saying that he loved their books, and then requested that they immediately start working together. But this isn’t how the author works.

Once you’ve set the foundation for a power relationship, you can create an even deeper bond by establishing trust. And the thing about trust is that to earn it, you also have to give it.

Without trust, relationships are doomed to fail from the beginning. For example, when a man at a New York City steakhouse went to pay his bill and realized he’d forgotten his wallet, he tried to explain this honest mistake to the owners, but they weren’t having it. He even offered to leave his iPhone behind while he ran to get his wallet, but instead, the owners had him arrested!

As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” So naturally, meeting someone for the first time can be stressful.

When you’re about to sit down for an interview, you’re probably hoping that you’ll present yourself in a good light and have the right answers. However, it can often look better to have the right questions.

It’s highly competitive out there, so everyone is looking for new ways to gain an edge in keeping their current clients and gaining new ones.

That’s why treating potential clients as though they’re already a valued part of your team is essential.

If you’ve ever sought out dating advice, you may have been told that people find it alluring when you play it cool and maintain a certain amount of mystery.

This can apply to power relationships as well, as one of the laws states: it’s always good to keep people curious and intrigued. And one way of doing this is to always give people the information they need to know, rather than telling them everything you know.

We all need a compliment every once in a while. In fact, letting people know you value them goes a long way in relationship building. That said, it won’t help at all if the praise is superficial or insincere.

Building strong power relationships requires a balance of truth and love.