Interview: Author Patrick Galvin on the Importance of Building Relationships & Strategic Recognition

In 2020, I came across a YouTube video discussing volunteer work. From the speaker, Patrick Galvin, it was interesting to hear how volunteer work greatly influenced his and the careers of others. So much, that I reached out and wrote a short note to him in Portland. Patrick is a successful author of books related to building business relationships as well as the co-founder of The Galvanizing Group.

Fast forward a year and Patrick has agreed to meet via Zoom to discuss his experience and motivation to write about business relationships. You can find his answers to the topic of “strategic recognition” and other topics we discussed below.

How stories influence.

Simon: Here at Uncover Strategy we are interested in what makes companies win and what makes them fail. In particular, we feel that expressing concepts and ideas by telling stories can be highly impactful and a relevant factor when it comes to soaking up (and more importantly, retaining) knowledge. Writing several successful books on the importance of relationships in business, your publication named “The Connectors Way” stood out to us. I myself have listened to the recently published audio version.

I would like to ask you two questions: 1) what was your motivation to publish work on building relationships in business and 2) why did you choose to educate your audience by telling a story?

Patrick: Thank you Simon for these questions and also that you took your time to listen to the audiobook. For me, my story began when I went to business school and got my MBA where I took all the “classic” business courses and a few marketing courses as well. Coming out of this, my thinking was that I was very well prepared and was handed all the tools necessary to succeed in the business world out there. One of my key beliefs back then was that I understood a growth in sales to be, in the majority, linked to marketing and advertising. I spent lots of time, money, and effort in this area with little results.

Early in the morning in Australia, late afternoon in Portland. Thank you Patrick Galvin for your time.

As a result of this, I got in touch with other business owners and people in sales and customer service. I was able to notice a difference: It was not the amount of money spent in marketing nor a vastly superior product that was the root cause of sustained growth but the ability to build quality and long-lasting relationships. This realization somewhat planted a seed that I was missing a crucial piece of information in business education. Writing a book was guided by the intention that a small business as we are can only educate a handful amount of people. With the books I have written, the aim was to reach and educate more people on this topic.

When I first started writing the book, about ten pages into my first draft, I came to the honest realization that reading this first version was quite boring. Also, lots of people might want to learn, but they also would like to learn in an engaging way. Educating people by providing a parable is something I thought of as keeping the reader’s attention and sustain interest in learning. A bonus with these types of narrative books is that it hardly goes out of date - there is no case study or figures that are becoming old or that I would need to update, keeping the truths in the book relevant for years to come. Interestingly, the book’s sales are increasing year after year, whereas many other business books tend to obtain the majority of their sales in the first year, after which sales heavily decline.

Simon: I can see this being a factor in retaining the attention of the reader throughout your book. And it makes sense - you can only give someone value from education if that person is not only provided but also willing and interested in using that knowledge to their advantage. This ties in quite nicely with a concept that we have been discussing in a recent article, where we promoted a formula of the amount of work multiplied by the rate of adoption resulting in a certain amount of impact (see Creating Impact In Your Work: A Critical Strategic Ingredient).

Impact is everything.

Work/Adoption formula discussed in the article “Creating Impact In Your Work: A Critical Strategic Ingredient” from May 2021.

For example, you might deliver a great product or service to your customer. However, if it is not well received by the customer (e.g. the service is not what he expected, even if the service was great) the impact, and therefore the potential happiness of the customer could be very low. As an example: A construction worker was asked to come in and work on a construction site (this is the variable work in the equation). When he finished his task, he might have done tremendous work. However, if the work he has done is of little adoption rate (e.g. he worked on the wrong construction site or carried out the wrong job) the impact for the customer or the employer is essentially nonexistent.

Similar to this concept, in your view, how do you think companies and individuals can keep a healthy balance between the two variables for maximum impact? For example, if you put all your efforts into building relationships or marketing (variable adoption) but little into the product or service (variable work), you end up with little impact (or sales). Where should your focus shift to keep these two in balance for maximum impact?

Patrick: I think at the core, of course, your product has to be good enough. You can not be a great relationship builder and have a bad product. However, there are a lot of products and services that are commodities - that is goods or work that are very similar compared to each other. So sometimes, the biggest differentiator in these cases is the relationships that business is developing with other businesses or its customers. This especially holds true in a world where technology is on the rise and human connection is of more value to customers.

I first came in touch with Patrick after watching his TEDx talk - which I thanked him for on LinkedIn. I was excited to hear back from him - and after almost a year got even more excited when Patrick was willing to jump on a call with me.

(Source: TEDx, 2020)

Simon: So I understand correctly that, unless you are competing on that technological edge and you have such a great customer base that is dependent on your service, or will see beyond issues. For example, electric car enthusiasts that look beyond the downturns of Teslas customer service issues or longevity concerns when they are purchasing their model?

Patrick: Exactly. Someone might not agree with the vision or business practices of the founder of Amazon but still enjoy and value the speed, price and accuracy of delivery that they provide. And there are few companies that can stand on those grounds. But there are many industries where you can compare and find a comparatively cheaper price at a potentially similar level of service - insurance is a good example here. Some companies will probably gain market share by cutting costs ever so slightly, but if the difference is not dramatic, many people might not want to give up the trust and confidence they established through the building of a relationship with an insurance office they know and might be able to rely on when time gets tough.

Simon: This makes very much sense, Patrick. You wouldn’t want to switch your provider for the last dollar when you are having a relationship that you can trust - even if it is costing you a bit more. That sense of security is all it takes.

I can see the time moving forward quickly, so I will make my last question a short one. In your book, you mention it is of utmost importance to take a “serious interest in others” - not just on the surface. I am sure we both have a rather uncomfortable story to tell about people that come up to everyone in the room at a business event only to quickly say “Hi”, hand their card and immediately leave.

Patrick: Yes, the “blackjack” dealers. They only see an event as successful if they were able to pass on all their cards.

Simon: That’s a good way to describe them! The question we must ask ourselves here is: Is there value for each other? It seems to me that the value is more one-sided and pressured. I myself would not be likely to give this person a callback.

Strategic Recognition.

Simon: This example of the “blackjack” dealer leads perfectly to a concept that I came across recently named “Strategic Recognition”. According to a study of Forbes in 2017, “66% Of Employees Would Quit If They Feel Unappreciated” (Forbes, 2017). Strategic recognition is described by many as a “systematic employee recognition strategy” but can also be related to customers. With this much at stake when it comes to recognition, how can companies ensure taking recognition seriously without coming across as a matter of “we have to thank employee X because we have to thank someone every month” and therefore lose its value? How can you balance and integrate this in everyday business without presenting yourself in the light of “fake praise”?

Patrick: I think if it is done right, a strategy surrounding recognition in organizations can be of tremendous value. However, there can be pitfalls. As you say, something along the lines of “employee of the month” could be seen as more of a mandatory procedure rather than honest praise. One example I can give here is what I experienced myself. An organization I worked for previously used to give out bonuses. Because the company was small, the manager was able to write a comment in a box for every bonus given out to employees. We as the employees probably gained most of our recognition not from the bonus itself, but from the thoughtful note given by the manager. That made all the difference.

Of course, in a larger organization that is harder to achieve but there are also middle managers who could take up this role. What is key to all these types of recognition is to emphasize “specificity”. The more specific, the better. That is when it resonates. When it is generic, coming back to the example of the employee of the month, that is not cutting it.

Simon: Because the employees also know: There will have to be one every month. Regardless if there is something to praise or not.

Patrick: Exactly. Throwing your heart into it and personalizing the message is crucial. Having a plan is great, but keeping the specificity and meaning is the only way to implement it authentically.

Simon: Patrick, thank you so much for your time today answering these questions. I think we have gained a great insight into your view on how to balance plans and actual implementation when it comes to building relationships and recognition in a planned, strategic manner.

I would like to end our session by citing rule #3 at the end of your book where you say: “Ask connections how you can be of service to them". So if you think we or any one of our readers can be of value to you, please let us know so we can be of benefit to you or others you know.

Patrick: Thank you Simon I appreciate the time and interest you took in my work.

Resources

If you are interested in learning more about the work of Patrick Galvin, you can find a hard copy, audiobook, and more resources below. Also, check out his TEDxMcMinnville talk where he talks about his experience in the Rotary organization. Find all versions of Patrick Galvin’s “The Connector’s Way” on Amazon or wherever you get your books Also, you can find his web presence here.

I myself grabbed the audiobook version of the book read by the author Patrick Galvin himself.

Note: I am not receiving and financial compensation nor am I profiting by posting with affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are independent and exclusive of the author or interviewee.