The Relationship Edge: The Key to Strategic Influence and Selling Success, Third Edition

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing a book, I have discovered, is the personification of team effort. It may begin with ideas and concepts, but it will never become a reality without the unselfish help and support of many, many people. With that in mind, I want to record for posterity many of the people who made this book possible.

First, I must acknowledge Wally Wood for working with me over all these months to take my ideas (and many of his) and write them in a way that makes me very proud. Wally will always be at the top of my Relationship Pyramid. Second, I must thank Wally's wife, Marian Wood, for her support and contributions to the book and her willingness to do whatever we needed to make the book better. Mary Maki had the arduous task of trying to decipher my English in order to create the transcripts that Wally and I worked from. The people at John Wiley & Sons did what publishers do. Shannon Vargo, though, has helped shape this book and my thinking about the ideas in this book and I am grateful for her honesty, insight, and guidance. She is at the top of my Pyramid.

Many people agreed to be interviewed and have their stories told, and it is their stories that make the concepts come alive. To everyone we write about, thank you for being a very important part of this book.

Since this book is the result of all my experiences and learnings over the years, I must take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge those whose guidance, support, and relationships with me have shaped who I am and ...