As many of you know, building and maintaining relationships is the key of every successful business. Not only with your clients, but also your vendors, customers, staff and others within your industry. But how do you build meaningful relationships that will help build and sustain your business? Here are two of my secrets to building relationships:
- Communication
Communication with your clients, customers and vendors is so important. You should always be upfront, honest, and open in your communication. We live in a digital world, so I think it is best to discuss communication in two ways: in person and digital.
In Person
When addressing someone in person, always put your best foot forward. Greet them with a warm, approachable smile. You want them to feel that you value their time and you are really in the moment. When discussing your industry, try not to use industry jargon. You never want someone to feel defensive or demeaned because they don’t understand the specifics of your industry and/or acronyms. And most importantly, be in the moment. It is so important to truly listen to someone so they know you value the relationship.
Digital Communication
The tips I mentioned above can also apply to the digital world: be approachable, don’t use industry jargon and listen. However, this can be much harder to get across via email. When writing an email, always think about how the person on the other end will read it. Could your email be construed as rude? I always try to throw in exclamation points and smiley faces whenever appropriate to keep it light hearted and familiar.
I also firmly believe that response time is everything. I always send a quick “Got it!” or “Will take care of this shortly” type response so whoever I’m working with knows that it is now taken off of their plate and put onto mine. It also demonstrates that you understand the importance and priority of your customer, client, vendor, or staff member.
- Personal Attention
Know your people. I can’t say this enough. In order to build relationships, you need to spend time actually getting to know them. Keep a list of important dates like birthdays and be sure to send them a nice card or note so they know you are thinking about them. I love to send Thank You cards at random. These small personal touches have a huge impact on your relationships and are easy day brighteners.
If you truly want to build relationships to help grow your business, keep these two things top of mind. They may seem simple, but they will help elevate you to the next level of success. So, what’s stopping you? Start putting these tips into practice today and remember, it’s the little things that make the big difference.