When an individual decides to go into business, they often foresee themselves as the lone soldier venturing out on a mission to change the world. To some degree, we can all relate to having this feeling. What small business owner hasn’t said, “I got this; I don’t need help” at least once?
As enduring as that may sound, the truth is, being reliant upon nurturing a few successful relationships with some leaders in your industry is a good idea.
Not only does it strengthen your integrity within the entrepreneurial population, but also helps in these areas:
- Displays you to chances to secure joint partnerships
- Benefits through information management
- Influence third-party resolutions to advance your service or progress
Whoever came up with the statement “it’s all about who you know,” had about 20 percent of that equation right. You have the chance of reconnecting other entrepreneurs you know every day of the week. However, the remaining 80 percent of the equation is all about nurturing and upholding trust-based, productive relationships.
Whether it’s the associations you have with your customer’s and clients or these:
- Business Partner
- Vendors
- Investors
- The Business Next Door
- Employees
or someone else, you are establishing and/or maintaining several relationships in your company every day, and each of these links requires a distinctive approach.
Maybe you want to establish a personal connection with a client. Or perhaps you want to just keep things more official with the company next door. Or maybe you want to show possible investors that you’re smart and have a kick-butt image for your business.
“Whoever came up with the statement “it’s all about who you know,” had about 20 percent of that equation right.”
No matter what your relationship, how do you create a meaningful and authentic correlation while keeping it professional, positive and productive?
The light at the end of the tunnel is that, while the substance of your interactions will differ, there are common skills you can use. Those skills will drive you to feel energized to continue authenticity in your business dealings.
Put these tips to work and strengthen the most essential aspect of your organization: the relationships you develop with your customer base:
1). Be Authentic
Too much attention goes to the cliche’ to be successful in the business world- you have to be overly aggressive, even if that is not who you are. The truth is, the best businesses come together by gathering people who have the desire to be on your team and work together efficiently. “When I deal with clients authenticity is key. They are trusting us with their business, we need to show them we value authentic genuine relationships.” said Ian McClarty CEO of PhoenxNap Global IT Solutions.
You want people who have the desire to see you succeed not those who secretly hope to see your downfall. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be a pushover—just stand firm to your beliefs. Always be sincere and express that you are enthusiastic about your business.
By doing so before every interaction you have will help you increase positive exposure. Keep in mind that successful new business owners are concept leaders at heart, therefore seek those who have values and beliefs similar to yours.
Stretching the truth about your service or products in any fashion can severely hinder your name and reputation. You should be realistic and honest concerning any services or details your business cannot provide.
By doing so, your customers will have a greater appreciation of you while the foundation for a lasting relationship can develop. Be yourself, and you will discover those who share your passion and visions.
Another important detail you should implement great care to is how you add extra touches to your customer service. After your initial conversation with a customer or client, remembering something significant about that person, such as their name leaves a great impression.
By doing so, it will also prompt you to store how your company suits that individuals needs. Little details such as these can have a significant impact on establishing a trusting relationship.
2). Maintain High Standards and Execute Quality
Your job is to provide a service or product that people want—and to surpass their early expectations. When it comes to establishing brand perception and loyalty, a first impression is the critical one that matters.
In today’s competitive setting, industry leaders will opt to team up with those that implement immaculate customer service with an impeccable reputation in the market. Let’s face it, times are changing, and with the world turning to social media, face-to-face interaction is vital.
You want these one-on-one meetings to offer the ability for you to display yourself as a quality driven professional that gets things done. Be motivated and ready to show how you provide what the customer wants with satisfactory results.
3). Stay ahead of the trends
Make yourself aware and attentive to what’s coming next and jump on setting the trend. Business leaders are looking to associate with companies that are establishing trends, instead of following them. We all know ‘innovation’ is a hot term in just about every industry. And to foster relationships with business leaders, you have to be winning edge.
Every connection you make in business is unique, and you should treat it as such. Often the best approach is to be true to yourself and not overthink situations. Take an honest interest in the relationship, and the rest will fall into place.
While essential relationships that are on a professional level need significant effort and time to build, they often unravel at a fast pace. Sometimes people, especially co-workers, take a working relationship for granted. That can mean one expects too much or appears apathetic, and soon the rapport will fail in a hurry.
It is vital that you form numerous meaningful, long-lasting-relationships for your organization’s success. So it is critical that you avoid these pitfalls to reap the rewards of confident, mutually valuable business relationships. That is important for you to see just how powerful the meaning of dignity is in the business world.
4. Be An Expert in Your Industry
One of the fundamental reasons people search for outside partnerships is to work with those who have strengths that balance their own. When engaging with potential partners, don’t fake it. Speak in confidence about what you have confidence in and ask meticulous questions about the topics or areas where you lack confidence.
No One expects you to be an expert everything. It is much more powerful to know the do’s and don’ts of your industry and recognize where there is room to learn more. Just be honest about where you stand at the moment and not be reluctant to learn from others due to pride.
5). Give back to Others
The only way to increase your network and maintain a strong reputation is through your willingness to give back and offer help to others. It’s about keeping balance in the relationship and guaranteeing mutually valuable results for all parties involved when possible.
The stronger the connection, the more likely there are of future transactions for everyone involved. Think of assisting others with their companies as an investment into your own. As you begin to see the ROI taking place, you will be happy about the invested time.
You’ll want to be known as a leader who can help simplify relationships because it will speak volume about your commitment and integrity to the business community at large.