How to Cultivate Business Relationships That Last

Introduction

It's no secret that good relationships are essential in business. But what does it mean to have good relationships? In short, it means you're establishing trust with your coworkers and customers, and making them eager to do business with you for years to come.

Establish common ground

• Find some common ground. Did you notice they have hiking photos all over their office? Or tend to love taking their lunch outside? Put yourself out there and ask them some questions about what they like — you may find you’re more alike than you thought!

• Introduce yourself and your business. Let them know you are interested in their work and that you would like to learn more about it. They may have similar interests and experiences, which makes for a great conversation starter!

• Ask them about themselves, then listen carefully as they share with you what they do, how long they've been doing it, etc.

• Find out what they like most about their work--and try not to ask too many questions at once (ease into this process). We all love talking about ourselves so don't be afraid of asking good questions! If there's something specific that comes up during conversation (like one person mentioning an event), ask if there are tickets available or how much tickets cost before moving forward with further investigation into attending said event(s).

Bring business into your personal life and vice versa

There’s an old saying that goes something like never bring your work home with you. Honestly, there’s always some overlap. Whether it comes out as you complaining about your coworker to your spouse when you get home or maybe you’ve made a lifelong friendship because you share a workplace with someone. Let’s face it, there’s always going to be overlap here so maybe it’s best to accept it and make the best of that.

It's important to have a life outside of work, so don't be afraid to make time for hobbies, friends, family, and social activities that are not related to your job. This can help build trust with people in other departments, or companies because they'll see that you're not just an overworked drone who only cares about making money-- you’re a human being, after all!

Keep a positive attitude

A positive attitude is a powerful tool for cultivating business relationships. Whether you're communicating with others, dealing with problems, handling stress or change, or working in new environments, your positivity can make all the difference.

Here are some ways you can keep a positive attitude:

• Be open to feedback. When someone gives you their opinion on something or offers advice on how to improve something--whether it's at work or in your personal life--accept their comments positively and use them as an opportunity to grow as a person or professional.

• Work on seeing the bright side. Did you and your team just move offices? Maybe this one has a better view or is closer to the window.

• Make a list of gratitudes. I know it may sound silly — it did to me when I first started doing this. Then I realized I felt so much better after jotting down all the things I have to be grateful for!

• Celebrate the little wins. Did someone positively recognize your work in a recent meeting? Did a coworker compliment your new haircut? Celebrate the little things, you have to be your own cheerleader sometimes!

Avoid making assumptions about people

Yes, I know, it’s difficult and almost automatic. I do it, you do it, everyone does this but it’s how we bring awareness to this and shift our thinking onto a better, higher wavelength. One of the most important things you can do to cultivate relationships is to avoid making assumptions about people. This applies both in your personal life and at work so come on, do your best.

• Don't assume you know what someone is thinking or going to say or do--you don't! You might think they're going to say something, but they could surprise you by doing something else instead. The same goes for actions: if a colleague asks for advice on how best to approach a project, don't assume that all he wants is your opinion; maybe there's something else going on beneath the surface that requires further investigation before giving any advice (or even talking).

• If someone has been acting weird lately or seems off-kilter in some way, it could simply be because they're having trouble with their kids/partner/whatever else may be stressing them out outside of work hours. Give them some space and time before jumping to conclusions about why they're acting differently than usual--and if possible offer support when possible without seeming overbearing or nosy.*

• Be compassionate when things go awry. No one likes being under the gun at work but how we act under pressure often speaks louder than when things are all hunky-dory, so be compassionate — especially when it’s difficult.

Be consistent in your communication with people

Be consistent in your communication with people. If you say you will do something, do it. If you can't do what you said you would do, let the person know and apologize for the change of plans or circumstances. And if a person asks for an update on something and hasn't heard back from you within a week or so of asking (without good reason), send them an email or make a phone call just to check in with them again.

This consistency will build trust over time--and trust is one of the most important elements of building business relationships that last!

Take a genuine interest in the people you work with

• Take a genuine interest in the people you work with — don’t fake it. It’s just lame, ingenuine and does the opposite of cultivate a compassionate, genuine relationship with someone.

• Ask questions about their life, family, friends, and other interests and remember what they said about those things. If you think they’re just super far out there, totally 1000% waaaay different than you ask them questions about their life! Maybe they love jumping off cliffs and you love going to the farmers market and crocheting — I’d ask them what thoughts run through their head right before they jump off that cliff. Watch their face light up when you ask good questions and I promise your conversations won’t get boring.

• Being an active listener and taking a genuine interest in what your business partner has to say is a cornerstone of both good business relationships but also relationships in general so yes, ask good questions. If you don’t have any, that’s okay too. Relationships take time to build, it’s a marathon not a sprint — so don’t beat yourself up too much.

Solid relationships are the cornerstone of any good business

Good relationships are the cornerstone of any good business. Without trust, respect, and openness, it's impossible to create a mutually beneficial partnership. While these things may seem obvious on their own, they're not always easy to put into practice--especially when you're new to working with someone or in an unfamiliar environment.

Here are some tips for cultivating solid relationships with colleagues:

Be a good active listener

Active listening is about more than just hearing what the other person is saying. It's about understanding what the other person is saying, trying to understand what the other person is thinking, and being open to what the other person has to say. Active listening helps you learn more about your partner and grow stronger business relationships with them.

Here are some tips on how active listening can help you cultivate strong business relationships:

• Listen with intent - focus on what they're saying by paying attention not only with your ears but also with your eyes and body language (i.e., nodding). This shows that you're interested in what they have to say rather than drifting off into another world or thinking about something else entirely (which could make them feel unimportant).

• Ask questions - don't just wait for them finish talking before jumping in with a comment of your own! Instead, ask questions so that there's an active dialogue between both parties involved instead of just one person lecturing at another (which isn't very helpful when trying improve upon something).

• Practice good body language - open up your shoulders to the person speaking, nod your head occasionally to show you’re actively listening and make some eye contact; no, I’m not talking about staring deeply into their soul in conference room #3, I’m talking about the occasional eye contact to let them know you’re still listening and what they’re saying is important to you.

Be open to other's ideas, notions, and ways they do business

• Be open to other's ideas, notions, and ways they do business! When we’re open to new experiences and ways of doing things, we learn new ways to tackle obstacles.

• Being open is a key part of building trust. It can also help you learn from others and grow as a person so don’t knock it, till you try it (unless it’s extremely unethical — I’d use your own judgement on this one, I trust you.)

Be honest and open, especially when it's most difficult

When it comes to building relationships, honesty, and openness are key.

It's important to be honest about your intentions and not afraid to admit when you make a mistake, but it's also important not to get caught up in the details of what happened and leave out the bigger picture. For example, if someone asks how their presentation went or how they did on an exam, don't just tell them "good" or "fine," because those answers don't provide any context for future conversations about their performance. Instead say something like: "I thought your presentation was clear and well organized--you did very well!" Or: "You had some trouble answering question #4 on the exam; let's go over that together next time so we can make sure you understand it better." In B2B corporate speak we call this offering tangible deliverables. It’s all about the details!

Look for ways to build trust with one another

In order to build a strong business relationship, you need to first be able to trust your partner.

Trust is the foundation of any good relationship, and it can (obviously) be damaged by betrayal, deceit, and lies. If you have built trust with someone by being transparent and open about your intentions and actions, then that person will be more likely to feel comfortable working with you in the future.

I know this hurts sometimes, especially when you make a huge mistake or act out of character. One time I was going through a really shitty breakup and I still had to host the team meeting that week. I ended up really coming down on one of our employees for plagiarism — I was embarrassed, ashamed and didn’t know how I’d ever look her in the eye again. Later I apologized and was honest with the team (I left out the gritty details but I was still honest without oversharing) they ended up being very accepting and I ended up feeling really grateful they were so understanding and compassionate.

Use topic-related humor sparingly

We’re not trying to become Chandler from Friends. Humor is a great way to break the ice, but it should be used sparingly and appropriately in the workplace.

Humor can help you build rapport with your contact and make them more comfortable in your presence. It also helps you establish yourself as someone who isn't afraid to poke fun at yourself or other people--a good quality in any relationship! However, if you overdo it (think: jokes about how much everyone loves cats), then your message starts getting lost amid all that laughter. And remember: humor should never be used as a means of making someone else feel bad about themselves or demean others.

Cultivating good relationships is essential in business

One of the most important things you can do to build a successful business is to cultivate good relationships. Your customers, employees, and vendors are all important for your company's success, but so are the people you work with outside of your organization--suppliers and other businesses in your industry.

If you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly from start to finish when it comes time for them to do business with each other again, then building strong relationships between everyone involved is essential.

Conclusion

I hope that these tips have helped you to cultivate better relationships with the people in your business. Business is about more than just making money; it's about building relationships and working together as a team. When you cultivate good relationships with others, they will be able to help you out when times get tough--and vice versa! It also just makes working with each other more pleasant. This sounds cheesy but I genuinely enjoy celebrating the non-work related “wins” with my clients. I see their faces light up and I get to be there to give them positive encouragement and celebrate the things they’re proud of, with them — for me, that’s fulfilling. Moreover, these may seem like little insignificant moments but they actually help build the relationship.

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