"You take the front, I'll take the back."

It sounds like a clichéd line from some cop show you've seen a thousand times. Two cops pull up in front of a house and jump out with guns drawn. Their faces etched with menacing confidence, they survey the situation and prepare to move in. The 'perp doesn't even know what's coming.

"You take the front, I'll take the back."

It sounds pretty good- knowing that someone is on your side...

Someone is looking out for your best interest...

Someone is there to protect you... 

But what about in real life? And what if you're not a cop? Who has your back then?

Who will take a risk on your behalf?

While this question can be applied to any situation or any relationship, I naturally place it in the context of business. Who is looking out for me and who am I looking out for?

Jay Abraham is a highly paid and very experienced marketing consultant. One of the key concepts that he teaches is called the Strategy of Preeminence. This strategy is at its core simply saying, "I've got your back, and I'm always going to do the right thing for you."

Pretty basic and yet not many businesses function with this philosophy. Because the truth of the matter is that it's risky to trust someone else. How do we know that what they are trying to sell me is what I really need? Far too often, it's much easier to not trust, to not engage, and to not seek to understand. 

This is the safe route, but it's ultimately hollow and exhausting. Far better to take a risk and say, "I've got your back."