How to Build Better Business Relationships

Michael Polzler

_{CEO at RE/MAX Europe}

Your business isn’t an island, alone in the ocean. It’s a rich community of people joined by experiences and relationships. But many business owners don’t realize how damaging it can be to neglect those relationships.

This video with Michael Polzler explains why your connections are far too valuable to disregard:

3 Key Take-Aways are:

1. Business is about relationships

Growing your brand, building a social media network or improving productivity are all important. But they all pale in comparison to the power of relationships when it comes to business success. Because after all, sales transactions are between two people, not two social media accounts.

2. Keeping in touch is one of the most important things that any business person can do.

What many business owners don’t realize, is that the strength of your network of relationships is more important to your business success than anything else you do. Maintaining a customer relationship keeps you in the front of their mind.

3. Best of all is still: the phone call

The good news is, keeping in touch doesn’t have to be complicated. A text message to say hello or ask how your customers are doing, sharing a picture or a short video of a recent event – technology gives us so many ways to reach out to get in touch. But at the end of the day, the simplest sometimes may be the best of all: Let your customers hear a friendly voice on the other end of the line.

To strengthen your connections even more, try these three tips to build better relationships:

1) Make it emotional

The key to building a successful relationship is letting people feel emotionally connected to your success. Treat your customers like valued friends, making the kind of thoughtful gestures you would for a close friend or family member. Share tips and advice with them, such as your favorite restaurants or local events they might enjoy.

And make your customers feel special and appreciated by remembering birthdays and special occasions with a note or gift – such as for their child’s first day of school or a graduation.

2) Give more than you hope to get

Strong relationships are never one-sided; everyone should find real benefit and value from the connection. If the only time you contact a potential client is when you want to offer your services, your gesture won’t seem authentic.

Instead, spend time figuring out how you can help your clients, without being asked. Listen to your customers, and really understand them. Then give them real value that makes their lives easier and better.

3) Give it time to grow

To create a real bond, you’ll need to spend hours interacting with customers, listening to them and offering help on a consistent basis. But with enough attention, a natural relationship will grow. Of course, the more relationships you build, the harder it will be to juggle them all. So keep a record of your communication and routinely reach out to your contacts. If you let too much time go by, your eventual contact will seem less genuine.

Never forget that it’s the strength of a relationship that makes a satisfied client out of a potential one. Even if they may not be your customers yet, plant your seeds now and nurture your relationships. And you’ll find before long, your strong relationship will turn that contact into a customer for life.