6 tips to improve your business relationships
This year is an excellent opportunity to reinvigorate your life, not just personally but professionally too. As President of Business Clubs America Philadelphia (BCA), the relationship-marketing experts, I understand the power behind developing and maintaining business relationships and how that directly affects individual success. I have developed six tips to revitalize these crucial relationships in 2015.
Treat relationships like an investment
Just as there are no get-rich-quick schemes when investing in the stock market, there are no quick fixes to investing in human relationships. Take the time to invest properly in your relationships and treat them like highly valued, long-term assets. Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” refers to this as our “Emotional Bank Account”. Covey reminds us, “Whether we are conscious of it or not, everything we do and say in a relationship counts. It either adds to the relationship or detracts from it (like a deposit or withdrawal).” Find ways to “invest” in your relationships this year through frequent, positive deposits that will exponentially compound over time.
Be more understanding and accepting
No one is perfect. People are going to have bad days and they might even take it out on you. They may frustrate you and say things they cannot take back, however you must be understanding and appreciate them anyway. We are all human and we all have struggles. To build a relationship we have to get to know people and what they are; to keep a relationship we have to be open and accepting through the tough times.
Be present
Our world has become obsessed with documenting everything, from Instagram to Twitter to Evernote. Having a digital presence is important but not when it prevents us from living in the moment and enjoying our present company and experience. You have to make the person you are with feel like they are of the upmost importance and getting 100% of your attention.
Reconnect with someone important to you
Think about who is (or has been) meaningful to your life and focus on reconnecting with him or her this year. Individuals, especially in business, are quick to find new people to meet and increase their contacts. However, it can often be more valuable to nurture the relationships you already have. Don’t overlook your current relationships, take the time to build or reestablish a genuine connection. You never know if what you need might be sitting right in front of you.
Look within, be authentic
Every successful relationship starts with you. A relationship can only flourish if you know who you are, your strengths and weaknesses, your faults and your merits. Recognize and be aware of the role you play in a successful relationship. This is not suggesting you change who you are – you should simply recognize it and use it.
Generosity
No part of a relationship will ever work if it’s not grounded in generosity. Generosity is the key to building successful relationships, that’s why it’s important to infuse all of your interactions with the mindset of generosity. While charity and philanthropy are important forms of generosity, your focus should be on simple, every day acts of kindness.
Everything we do and say adds to or detracts from our relationships, generosity in its simplest forms (attention, listening, time, honor, forgiveness, etc) can often have the greatest impact on our relationships. Generosity is the most important form of currency, use it every single day to make deposits into your relationships.
Social media has created a variety of exciting opportunities across the business landscape. However, no digital relationship can replace the benefits of a well-maintained, face-to-face relationship.
This article was originally published on Ladypreneur League!
