Tips on Building Better Business Relationships

No matter the industry, successful professionals know how important it is to establish and grow relationships. Ideally, one should develop strong relationships with customers, vendors, employees, and even competitors. Just like other kinds of relationships, business relationships need to be nurtured and maintained so that they work for both parties.

Here are five tips for success in nurturing business relationships:

1. Identify the person’s communication style. Understanding it can help you avoid conflict. Watch for non-verbal communication like body language and tone to help you understand what is really being communicated.

2. Recognize individual learning styles and design your communications around them for greater effectiveness. Be equally aware of your own styles and needs in the relationship.

3. Respect the values and the boundaries of others. Respect builds trust and strengthens relationships.

4. Listen to ensure that you understand the needs of your customers. Sometimes clients want you to be an expert; sometimes they just need a sounding board. Use a contact system to keep track of what you know.

5. Communicate when you do not want or need something. Be proactive by forwarding articles, links, and other information of interest. Make referrals that create opportunities without needing something in return.

Be honest, be diligent, and remember that you can never say “thank you” enough.

A recognized business development professional, Anthony Sinisgalli possesses more than a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and managing relationships.