In a recent post on Technosailor, Aaron Brazell discussed the recent SXSW (South by Southwest) event that is a gathering for creative people in the advertising and marketing world.

What I loved about Aaron’s post was his observation about the various kinds of people who attend this annual event.

Year 1 attendees . . . they walk around like high school freshmen with wide eyes, taking in everything but definitely looking kind of lost at the same time.

Year 2 attendees . . . they’re like the sophomores —  increasingly sophisticated and full of youthful energy that isn’t overly focused.  They now understand some things they want to do and they work their buns off to ‘make the rounds’ of all the events and attend all the parties they can.  (Sounds like a frentic sprint to some nebulous finish, doesn’t it?)

Year 3 attendees . . . these are the ‘graduates’!  Here’s what Aaron wrote about them: “Year 3 . . . is less about meeting everyone and doing everything than spending time building on the relationships that matter most. This means long lunches, and maybe avoiding the “meat market” networking parties in favor of smaller, intimate settings.”

Interesting.  The ‘seasoned’ people aren’t running around loose as loons . . . they’re carefully selecting which people offer them the most durable and valuable relationships . . . and they’re investing their time and attention with them.

The old expression, “You can’t be all things to all people” is evident in the way the ‘seasoned’ attendees choose to participate. 

In your business . . . being equally selective in who you choose to develop a long-term relationship with is the mark of a seasoned business owner or professional who is often known as a ‘Rainmaker’.  

I hope you take a lesson from the students who grow from gawky freshmen to sophisticated seniors.  

The best relationship builders in any business or professional practice are those who honor QUALITY over QUANTITY in their relationships with prospects, clients and centers-of-influence.

Think about it.  More importantly, do so something with this insight!