A business relationship is the key to success. It provides you with an important opportunity to talk and learn from potential clients and customers, expose yourself to new markets and opportunities, and establish a personal connection.
However, since “business” is such a loaded term in our society these days, it seems like there’s no such thing as a business relationship anymore. Instead of thinking of it as an opportunity for mutual exchange, many people think of it as strictly transactional: customers buy your product or service; then you send them off into the sunset without any further interaction.
Who cares?
Consider that sales by salespeople account for two-thirds or more of a company’s revenue. If you’re not spending time with your customers, you’re missing out on that money.
Free Opinion IST says, there are indeed people who are doing very well in the business world without actually doing business. They are just corporations or other organizations that have agreed to buy and sell goods and services with the intention of making a profit. However, it’s important to understand that corporations and other organizations can never do business with their customers: they need to be in a business relationship in order to obtain and fulfill their clients’ needs.
It’s simple: if you aren’t actively involved in your relationships, one day they will simply stop existing. There is nothing more frustrating than hoping for something or hoping for something hoping for nothing in particular.
Meaningful business relationship
It doesn’t matter how emphatically you state that “our relationship is very important to us” in your marketing material. It’s just not enough! You need to act on your words and show your customers that you are committed to building a really meaningful business relationship with them.
If you don’t, you’ll probably find yourself in the same position as my friend who owns a small computer repair shop. His customers would call him when their computers were having problems, and he in turn would come in once or twice per week for an hour or two at a time. Nothing really seemed to be happening, and he was becoming discouraged.
Then one day it happened:
A man walked in and started talking about his very complicated problem: “I can’t seem to get my computer working right.” He turned out to be a lawyer and the problem was his laptop– apparently there was a software conflict with some stupid company’s software, whom he had never heard of, who had never heard of him. When the lawyer had gone on for 20 minutes, my friend announced that his computer was up and running now. The lawyer looked at him strangely. “You mean you didn’t do anything?” he asked incredulously. “I told you it was working fine!”
- “I didn’t do anything,” my friend said quietly. “You were right there with me the whole time.”
- “No, I wasn’t!” the lawyer exclaimed, surprised that my friend was actually admitting that he had neglected to solve his customer’s problem. “I was just talking!”
It turns out that this same situation happens over and over again. There are people who express how very important they are to their relationships, but without showing any interest in them at all, they still end up feeling dissatisfied. They realize something is missing only after the relationship ends or has passed them by. It might not be long before you find yourself in a similar position…
Business relationship ad
When I was in advertising, I used to make fun of the “business relationship” ad. It would always be something like:
- I want you to see us as your partner in business.
- Business is nothing without relationships.
- Relationships are what make business work.
- Put my name on everything you do!
- You’re not who you do; you’re who they know!
And what does that say about me? Do I rule because of what I’ve done, or because of who I’ve done it for? Relationship marketing isn’t just about expressing your importance; it’s about showing that you care enough to be involved enough so that it becomes meaningful.
So, how do you demonstrate your interest in building a relationship?
Think of it this way: if you’re looking for an apartment, do you put an ad in the paper saying “getting into apartment hunting?” No, when someone calls about an apartment to rent, they’ll ask what kind of apartment they’re interested in. You might say something like this:
I want you to see us as your partner in living.
If you like to cook, do you put an ad in the paper saying “looking for someone to buy my cooking services?” If someone calls for your services or buys one of your products, they’ll ask how much it costs and what kind of service or product they are interested in. You might say something like this:
I want you to see us as your partner in food.
If you’re in the market for a car, do you put an ad in the paper saying “looking for someone to buy my car?” You might say something like this:
I want you to see us as your partner in transportation. I’m looking for somebody who is ready to be active with me in my own business. Who’s ready to start this journey with me? I’d like to get together with you and learn more about how we can be better partners.
