As a business owner, every connection you make has the potential to become a profitable one. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game. People often find they spend their time striving to get more customers, prospects, subscribers and followers without paying attention to the quality of those relationships. Each person you connect with needs to know that they’re appreciated.

Step One: Imagine Your Life without Them

The first step to not taking your customers, prospects, and everyone associated with your business for granted is to imagine your life without them. Take a look at your customer list. How would your life be without those customers? How would you pay your bills? How would you take vacations? How would you enjoy the same quality of life without your existing customers?

Now take a look at your prospect list, your subscribers, and your social media followers. Imagine your life without these people. They represent the potential to boost your existing income. Without them you would stay exactly where you are right now, and every single customer that you lost would not be replaced. This realization is the first step to not taking your business connections for granted.

Step Two: Assess Your Current Activities

The next step is to take a look at what you’re doing right now. How are you showing your gratitude? Create a spreadsheet and break it up into the following segments: customers, subscribers, and social media followers. Document each tactic that you do on a consistent basis that lets them know that you don’t take them for granted. For example, you may post industry news to your Facebook page twice a week. Once you