Comparing business relationships to personal relationships, Keith Ferrazzi encouraged webmasters and adult industry players to let their guards down and approach each other on more intimate, authentic terms.
The influential networking guru delivered an inspiring message during Friday's keynote address, reminding those crammed into the packed Grand Ballroom at the Tempe Mission Palms Resort that truly successful business people are those who rely upon others to help them achieve their goals.
"You can't get there alone," he told Phoenix Forum attendees. Citing teammates, bosses, coaches, etc., he said, "Those are the kinds of people who fundamentally determine our success."
Ferrazzi noted the adult industry is one that operates differently from mainstream business.
"You're in an industry where it's all about recognizing that you can't get there alone," he said, "but it's becoming increasingly hard for you to differentiate your products from each other. One thing that can't be replicated is your relationship with other people."
Stressing that "relationships are the core to your success," Ferrazzi presented two key components in obtaining success: intimacy and generosity. He went on to say, "It's our job to create an aura about ourselves that invites people in to have better relationships, because with better relationships comes more success—and more joy in your personal lives."
Much of Ferrazzi's "secret to success" was attributed to authenticity. "Honesty is the best policy," he maintained. "You can smell inauthenticity a mile away. We should always learn to trust our instincts about people, because they're almost always right."
According to Ferrazzi, most inauthenticity can be traced back to insecurity, which, he said, "leads people to act inappropriately." Nipping such behavior in the bud usually comes from having "a little more tolerance and a little less judgment," he added. After sharing his own personal struggles (he said he came from a very poor background and wrestled with his sexuality during his teen years), Ferrazzi guided audience members through an exercise in which they revealed their hopes and dreams, as well as their deepest fears and vulnerabilities, to each other. Afterward, some reported the things they'd revealed were quite similar. "We all long for deeper intimacy and deeper understanding in our lives," Ferrazzi said.
Ferrazzi then turned his attention to the Phoenix Forum itself. "A lot of these shows are about bravado," he posited. "But what we really want is to foster new relationships that lead to successful business partnerships. And if you want to expedite that process, then you need to get real with each other."
Having a good product to sell is only part of the equation, he said. Truly wanting others to succeed and offering them "full-solution" assistance in doing so also contributes to one's own success. Advising the audience to self-diagnose the behaviors that hold them back from succeeding, he reiterated the importance of breaking down walls of distrust in order to achieve one's true potential.
In the end, he concluded, it's essential to "let others help."
