Relationships Rule -- Especially on the Net

Relationship Capital... "The wealth embedded in customer relationships is now more important than the capital contained in land, plant, buildings, and even big bank accounts." I love this quotation from "Relationships Rule" by Tapscott, Ticoll and Lowy in Business 2.0 (May 2000). Remember it the next time somebody says that the Internet will put (fill in the blank) out of business.

Tapscott et.al. use the phrase B-Web (business web) to describe the "collection of molecules held together by economic, personal, technological, cultural, demographic, and other forces. Customers are molecules in the B-Web." And that's the excitement that I feel in the industry as I speak to owners, managers and brokers. All of these players are exploring ways that the net can deepen their personal business relationships.

Will a building portal strengthen the relationship between a landlord and a tenant? Will a comprehensive financial services web site build a stronger relationship between a borrower and a lender? Will an extranet strengthen the relationship between a service provider and a client? These are really intriguing questions. The answers will vary from individual to individual, but the common element will be the feeling of a personal connection enhanced by technology. Relationships will always rule!

--Peter