When you approach others with the attitude of how you can help them and serve them FIRST the rewards are outstanding. As a retail manager I reached out to the radio announcers and managers of local Christian and non-Christian radio stations who had an affinity with my retail store. My initial contact was not about selling them something but it was to learn more about their outreach and how my store could support them. Each one I talked too was more than happy to let me know how I could help. Eventually I became part of an advisory board for the largest Christian radio station in Michigan. These relationships led to countless in-store radio remote events and on-air promotion of my stores. In most cases the relationship building started several years before there was any benefit to my retail store. My approach with Christian television and newspaper writers was the same. How could I help them, what could I provide that would add value to what they were hoping to achieve.

We also partnered with a local Youth For Christ chapter and provided them with office space, at no charge, in our retail store. Again, this was a relationship that began from the starting point of how could we, as a retail store; help them achieve their mission of reaching the youth of our community. As time went on, this relationship provided us with the opportunity to be involved in concerts and events that put us in front of thousands of people each year at little to no cost.