Nothing revolutionary here except a few recent anecdotes that remind me why we love to do business with some people, and that feel especially poignant in this economy where cash is tight and everyone is eager for business. 

We have dozens of vendors, and most of our vendors have hundreds of other retailers like us. While we are "doing business" with them, there are a precious few that "do business" with us. But as a matter of principle - and pride - I can't tell you how much that means to me. Some examples:

• In the case of Mulholland Brothers and Fairway & Greene, both the CEO and our sales rep regularly shop our store. Truefitt & Hill's CEO regularly barters grooming instruments for wine accessories or sunglasses. They already know that I like what they sell, but it's nice to know that they like the other stuff we sell too.
  
• Yesterday, we had the real estate broker for our first store buy her 3rd or 4th gift from us since last Christmas, while our packaging vendor was also in the store making a repeat purchase from us.
  
• While we haven't seen him recently, the gentleman that runs the business tower complex our store is in - our landlord/slumlord - is still our best in-store customer. His patronage softens the monthly rent check.
  

With interactions like these, it's not about the money (most of the time, we're not making any money on the sale anyways out of professional courtesy). It's also not about "bartering", although that has certainly gained traction as well. Bartering implies that two parties are exchanging things of equal value, and currency is often irrelevant. Bartering is great, and we do it all the time. This is different. This is having a vendor turn into a customer. For me, personally, it's a sign of respect, and one I try to reciprocate. Some different examples:

• Both the owner and chef of a nearby, high-end Italian restaurant called Perbacco have become regular customers. While I have eaten there a few times, I now plan on making it a regular weekly watering hole where "watering hole" = risotto & a Barbera.
  
• After our last email campaign, a customer noticed an incorrect price on our site ($13 for a $135 pair of shoes). Often, that results in a customer ordering it and then feigning outrage that the order cannot be fulfilled at that price (we bend over backwards when we make a mistake, but there are limits). For the heads-up, I sent the gentleman a gift certificate as a thank you. To one-up me, he politely refused it, mentioning that he also has an online business and so he could relate. Since he is an artisan roaster of coffee beans at FreshCoffeeNow, I told him to send us 2 lbs. of beans and use the certificate. He did, and we've been wired ever since.
  

To be clear, we like working with all of our vendors. They have world-class products, great people, and many have been extremely patient during this downturn. Some send hand-written thank you notes; others take us to nice dinners. Both are appreciated. For me, though, there is something different about the act of one of our vendors buying something from me, no matter how small. Simultaneously, it's an act of validation, support, and gratitude. The difference between the good salespeople we meet and the great salespeople we meet is the understanding that buying something - anything - from your customer yields exponential rewards in goodwill. In this economy, it's probably one of the best investments you can make.

So if you're in Sales - and aren't we all really? - think about your best customers, and ask yourself if there's anything you can buy from them. If you're dealing with anyone like me - and I pray that you're not - it's the single, nicest gesture you can make.