Kay Edwards is the founder of Outsight Network an association of senior-level consultants that serve mission-driven organizations. The mission of Outsight is to build lasting relationships and be relentlessly helpful. Kay helps her clients ask better questions so they can understand their organizations, their customers, and their marketplace, and turn that understanding into strategies that create life-long customers.
“I think a business relationship really puts the other person at the center without losing sight of what you want and need from the relationship.”
“I think there are two kinds of people in the world. There are people who really instinctively know how to build relationships and they do it really well but don't often understand the process. And then there are people like me who don't do it instinctively and there's a little bit of fear.”
“one of the things is to be really intentional about it and even if it comes naturally to you to understand who are you building relationships with? Why? What do you want from the relationships? How do you make that work?”
“actually, a client located in Europe. We were helping them build relationships in the U.S. It was a nonprofit organization, so they had as their cause helping emerging democracies around the world. And through some networking connections, I found myself having breakfast with the owner of the San Francisco Giants.”
“always make sure we schedule the next connection. Always make sure I know what I'm going to talk with next about someone, and always understand how am I adding value to this relationship.”
“Well again, be intentional. But the other thing that I've learned that works really well when I first started my firm about 20 years ago, there was a rule that I created that said, ‘I never walk out of a meeting without asking for someone else I should meet’.”
“I really like face to face, but I understand that digital has its role as well. I look at them as tools and in some situations digital is more appropriate and in some situations, face-to-face is more appropriate.”
“I had to write down every single word I was going to say on the phone because I was so introverted and so scared of picking up the phone and so afraid of what the person on the other end would say…”
“So, when I was doing my MBA, this actually was a project of ours, we were assigned the task of identifying a leader that we admired and reaching out to them and interviewing them and writing a paper on it. Well, this was the time when right after Mel Gibson had produced…”
“I am rereading the book, The Dip by Seth Godin. who's one of my favorite authors.
“Just do it. Just make time on your calendar.”
You can get in contact with Kay at:
Website: www.outsightnetwork.com