Top tips to building Business Relationships

If no one has told you yet, a business is built by creating relationships. Relationships with you suppliers, customers, bank, co-workers etc. One of the most quoted authors Dale Carnegie wrote a book that has been used for decades the world over to help people learn how to build relationships.

Some people are just born that way; they are a “people person”. But if you are anything like me then it is a skill that you consciously must work on to develop. Thankfully anyone can.

One of the very fist places I worked in I encountered a strange culture. This culture glorified cold-hearted corporate vixens that I can only liken to Meryl Streep’s character in Devil Wears Prada. This is the face of the powerful no nonsense corporate woman who has a handle on everything and everyone by instilling respect through fear. However, if you intend to run your own business this high school mentality will not get you results and you will have to close shop eventually.

I want to share a few tips to building and enhancing your business relationships.

1. Develop a genuine interest in people.
When you meet someone, ask them about their background, family, professional life. Learn as much as you possibly can about them. This information will help you know how best to connect with them for instance when making a sales pitch. In my experience in advertising this is where most agencies fail to make the connection. Beyond a brand strategy try to understand what drives the decision makers behind it and make that connection when selling your ideas.

2. Remember a person’s name.
A lot of people do not put effort into remembering names. Since we don’t all have people to remind us like Merry Streep’s character, we have to develop the art of remembering names. Nothing annoys a potential employer, supplier, or customer than receiving a letter or event invitation card with a misspelt name. Most will switch off from hearing you out once you make that mistake. Develop this skill, it will get harder as you meet more people and grow your business

3. Everyone you meet has a sign saying make me feel important on their forehead.
One of my colleagues says this to me all the time. I always complement her because she is always able to make instant connections with people she meets. She told me that her secret is this tip number 3; make the other person feel important. Focus on them and not yourself. Don’t bore them with details of your life. Listen to them and place value on their ideas and opinions.

4. Avoid arguments.
If you think about it, what is the point of an argument? Once you have stated your point and won, all you have achieved is making another person look and feel bad. This will not generate sales leads or build your relationships. Learn to restrain yourself and avoid arguments even when you are sure the other person is wrong. The customer is not always right. However, they hold the key to building or ruining your business. In some PR circles it is said that when you do something a customer appreciates they tell their friends, when you do something negative, they tell the whole world. As the internet and social networks make the world smaller nothing is more threatening than the power of word of mouth.

5. Learn the art of conversation.
According to Dale Carnegie, the secret to being a great conversationalist does not lie in knowing and preparing great stories and anecdotes. It is in being a good listener. Most people when involved in a conversation are always thinking of the next thing to say instead of listening to the other party. Get engrossed in the other person and ask probing questions into the conversation they are carrying on. Get them to talk more about themselves and listen to them.

6. Remember the 6 degrees of separation.
The person or colleague you are rude to today will have power to make decisions tomorrow. Once an MD of a company I worked for wanted an opinion on someone he wanted to hire. He walked around asking the opinion of everyone that had interacted with the potential employee. One of the middle level managers recounted a story to him of how in the past, this Lady had mistreated and frustrated her on her first Job. The Lady was never hired.

These are just the tip of the Ice Berg. Follow the link below to How to win friends an Influence people by Dale Carnegie to get more tips.