As you know, relationships = consulting assignments. I've found it easiest to market and build relationships when I don't need work.

One of my client-friends runs a local public relations firm. I found a "New Yorker" cartoon that fit him well. It shows a boss seated behind his desk addressing a dazed employee. There's an empty 55-gallon barrel with a lid beside the desk. The caption reads, "I'm taking you off the Henderson account and putting you into this steel drum."

If you've ever had someone working for you, you know the feeling. It took about five minutes to send this card.