Without the high-net-worth individuals who put money in our deals, we wouldn’t have a syndication business. And yet, most of us are terrible at showing our appreciation to the passive investors we work with. When a deal goes through, we send them a mug or hat with our logo on it and call it a day. But does that reflect what the relationship is actually worth to us? Is there a better way to do gifting? John Ruhlin is the Cofounder of Giftology Group, a strategic gifting consultancy that helps sales leaders, business owners and executives unlock loyalty and turn clients into raving fans. He founded Giftology Group in college to market Cutco Cutlery as a high-end corporate gift to companies of all sizes, and today, John is the #1 distributor in Cutco’s 60-year history. John is also a sought-after keynote speaker and author of Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, John joins cohost Garrett Lynch to explain how he came to dominate the Cutco leaderboard using gifting to build relationships. He introduces us to the giftology system, describing how he leverages generosity to turn his best clients into salespeople and raving fans. Listen in for John’s insight on how much to allocate for gift-giving and learn how YOU can get a 10X return by investing in the people who make your business profitable.

Key Takeaways

How John came to dominate the Cutco leaderboard

• Learned relationship-building from mentor Paul
• Sent gifts to land meetings with big-time CEOs

John’s insight on the value of relationship-building

• Make decisions emotionally, justify with logic
• Gifting = mechanism for generating emotion

John’s concept of a return on relationship

• Initial $7K investment in gift to Cameron Herold
• $25K over 10 years = 50X return on relationship

The key ingredients of John’s giftology system

• Include handwritten note, name family members
• Personalize gift and be intentional about timing

What makes John’s giftology system work

• Generates like, trust and keeps top-of-mind
• People crave human-to-human relationship

How much a business should allocate toward gift-giving

• Reinvest 5% to 15% of net profits in relationships
• Invest in people already work with at some level

Why giftology requires a long-term commitment

• Genuine generosity vs. manipulation tactic
• Turn best clients into salespeople

John’s top examples of the benefits of giftology

• Invited to appear on Gary Vaynerchuk show
• 107% increase in referrals for John Bowen

Connect with John Ruhlin

Giftology Group Download the Giftology System Email [email protected]

Resources

Join the Nighthawk Equity Investor Club Learn More About Michael’s Mentoring Program Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention by John Ruhlin Entrepreneurs’ Organization Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk John on Marketing for the Now with Gary Vaynerchuk Artifact Mug The 5 Love Languages Young Presidents’ Organization Vistage Books by Don Yaeger Podcast Show Notes Michael’s Website Michael on Facebook Michael on Instagram Michael on YouTube Apartment Investor Network Facebook Group