GALT Consulting LLC

I'm referencing a reference here, but in the book Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, a study by anthropologist Robin Dunbar showed that people can realistically manage about 148 (give or take) real, authentic relationships at any one time.  As a business owner, your goal MIGHT be to be one of those 148 people for your clients.  Or maybe not...

When developing a strategy for your business, it is important to understand not only your Unique Value Proposition (UVP), but also to understand how people will connect with your UVP.  Your clients / customers may or may not require a "148 relationship", but you should not overlook the value in those relationships as potential connectors to your business.  Each of those 148 people has a relationship with up to 148 other people who take that person's advice very seriously.

What about the people outside of that 148?  They are very important too, but for different reasons.  For one thing, they probably hold opinions that directly impact your product.  My friend Matt Block recently wrote about this in his blog.  I have heard that for every customer that complains, there are 10 more who feel the same way who didn't make the effort to tell you.  As Jim Collins says in "Good to Great", you must "Confront the Brutal Facts".  Is your advertising working the way you thought?  What is your public image?  Listen to the masses to better understand your REAL UVP and learn where you need to make changes.

I've included one example in the picture above.  This sign was hanging in the downtown Springfield office of a friend of mine.  What are your clients saying about you?