December 2011 Newsletter

Building relationships is crucial to your work. No matter what your job title is, interacting with people is probably essential. Read more for tips to build business relationships and stand out.  

Enjoy the article and have a fantastic holiday season! 

Build Relationships that Beat the Competition

"Why did they choose you?" That's the question I asked a friend who took her company from zero clients and zero revenue into a very successful firm with more referral business than she can handle. We were talking about her first client and why they chose her instead of one of the bigger, better known, better financed firms.

"It's interesting," she said. "After I won the contract someone said to me, 'You were the only person who took time to introduce yourself to all of us and get to know our names.' I was shocked. I thought it was just how you do business. There were about ten people in the meeting, but I made sure to learn a little about everyone before we got started. It wasn't that hard."

Business relationships form best when you remember both the professional and personal touches. Our meetings, our presentations, our participation in networking events are more successful when we take a moment to get to know the other people involved.  

Of course, good manners and conversational skills aren't enough. My friend modestly forgot to mention that she is extremely knowledgeable about her field and has decades of experience with similar projects. But her competitors had that experience too. What gave her the edge was her ability to connect.

Building connections is common sense, but not always common practice. Here is a refresher on connection techniques to improve your relationships:

•  Remember Rapport: Before your next meeting, presentation or call, plan in advance how you'll build rapport. Think of ways to do this quickly to create positive feelings before you move to business. (But be careful, there are some people for whom the best rapport builder is getting straight to the point.)

• Get Personal: For each important interaction, make it a point to learn something personal and make a note of it. Details about vacations, hobbies and children show that you care and can help cultivate lasting connections.

• Connect the Dots: Business objectives don't exist in a vacuum. Helping a client save time means that they will have more free time for work and more free time for play. Don't forget that creating a business impact can have positive personal effects as well.

People don't want perfection; they want connection. Yes, you must be good and competent at what you do, but it is not enough. Competence alone won't make you stand out, but a "connection" will. Make sure that you're connecting personally and you'll have the edge in building better business relationships.

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 © 2011 Chakisse Newton. All Rights Reserved.