When you look at significant events in your business’s growth and dig beneath the surface, you will likely find that most involve key business relationships. Those relationships might be with clients/customers, employees, colleagues, or strategic vendors. In all cases, the relationship contributed to the successful outcome.
We invest heavily in marketing the physical products or services that an organization produces or delivers. We amplify benefits and differences to persuade a prospect to buy from your organization. We interact with potential employees to win them over to join your team. We selectively identify and negotiate valuable partnerships with our vendors.
These steps are built upon the nature and level of investment made in developing an authentic relationship with all the parties to the organization. With relationships being so critical to the organization’s success, what is leadership doing to invest in developing each relationship in the business?
The sales and marketing arm of the business might be seen as a natural extension of building relationships with new opportunities. As this occurs, is the framework used to create the relationship consistent throughout the organization and with the intent of the relationship for the life of the engagement? Sometimes there is a disconnect between the ties crafted by the sales department, and once turned over to installation, customer service, or others in the organization, the relationship experiences differences that cause discontent in both the customer and the business.
The same is true when crafting relationships with employees and vendors. When a new hire is brought on board, the experience they receive at the start of their employment should be consistent throughout their entire time with the business. A vendor relationship should also be treated with the intent of building a solid, long-term relationship that will withstand challenges and allow them to be overcome productively and positively.
Even though technology has given rise to more distant relationship building, it cannot be dismissed as not needing to build authentic relationships in person. When looking at some of the most successful business leaders, a common trait is that they get together face to face and belly to belly to conduct business. Yes, they use telephones and virtual meeting services to move things along, but when the time comes to have “The Talk,” they meet in person.
As they take the time to invest personally in building the relationship, each individual’s personality traits begin to surface. Each person analyzes the other person and how these traits will contribute to the mutual success of the relationship or detract and cause future issues.
As you consider growing your business and the relationships that make it perform at its best, consider which relationships are authentic and rooted in your organization’s core purpose, values, and culture. When you examine the various customer, employee, and vendor relationships, you will likely find that those that are most aligned with your organization’s principles are not just the best for both parties but also mutually rewarding. Your business’s growth, long-term success, and asset value will be directly proportional to the quality of relationships built while cultivating your organization.
Are you looking to move from having a job or business to owning an asset and building key relationships? It’s time to call a Promise Guide at JKL Associates—MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246.
Journey On!
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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS – EMAIL US AT PARTNERS@JKLASSOCIATES.COM OR CALL OUR OFFICES – MI AT (313) 527-7945 FL AT (407) 984-7246
Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
