Your business depends upon relationships. These days marketers like to call it branding, and we can delve into that another time. For today, let’s talk about building relationships that grow our businesses. According to a writer in Forbes online, 85% of your success lies in your ability to make solid connections. Savvy marketers know that for every five contacts with a customer or potential customer, only one should focus on selling anything.

That’s right. Four out of five strokes should be about building relationships. Think about it. How much do you like to be sold anything? Most of us would rather have a root canal than endure a pushy salesman’s unending spiel. That’s selling. Compare that to building a relationship, a friendship, with a client.

Business relationships begin a lot like courtships. Get to know each other. Share life stories. See each other a few times without any expectations. A customer is like an empty shopping cart, but aim to fill it with stories, not sales.

I know what you're thinking: when you are chasing a dollar, who has the time? What are the tools of your trade? Here are five ideas that may help:

• If you have a website, make sure you’re blogging. Tell stories that draw clients to your business.
• If you have a Facebook page, post something every single day. Once a week announce a product or sale.
• If you don’t have a digital presence, create a story board by your door. Three lines. Easy to read, easy to digest, don’t advertise anything.
• If you have a newsletter, monitor your clicks and be sure you are providing value more than sales content.
• Establish a Rolodex of client birthdays and send cards each week.

Still not convinced? Read how experts in every field describe the role of storytelling in the fabric of their success.

It’s true. Stories are the strongest weapons in your arsenal of tools for building relationships. They are woven into the lives of your staff, your family, the seasons, everyday life. Educating your clients adds value. Being personal and real opens windows into your life. In all these ways you are touching the mind and the heart of someone who needs your business. Buyers may not need you today, but they will. They surely will. Make sure they remember you when that need arises. That’s the value of relationships.