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In business, as in life, building relationships is key. No matter how talented you are or what service you provide, if your customers don’t like you or, worse, don’t trust you, you’re not going to get very far. Networking is a critical part of advancing your career, but making contacts will only serve you if you can foster them into fruitful business relationships.
Whenever you’re meeting with a client or a connection, especially a new one, make time in advance to learn a bit about them. Whether this means speaking to mutual acquaintances or researching online, doing your homework on a prospective customer or contact will allow you to identify common ground and better equip you to answer their questions or provide what they’re looking for. If you want them to give you their business, it’s crucial to come prepared. Coming to meetings well versed on the other party’s needs also assures them you will go the extra mile on their behalf.
Business relationships are investments. We invest time and energy into them with the expectation that they will provide value. Just as you’re hoping to leverage your business relationships to achieve certain goals, so are your colleagues, business partners, and customers. So, consider what value you’re providing back to them. In some cases, it may be helpful to illustrate what you have brought to the relationship by presenting hard numbers and proof of results. By making a strong case for the overwhelming benefits of the relationship, you stack your deck for success, and ensure the business relationship with grow and flourish in the future.
There’s a reason why your parents always said, “Honesty is the best policy.” It is. If you promise your client the sun, moon and stars when networking, then that’s exactly what they’re going to expect. It’s important to set ambitious goals, but it’s just as important to deliver. If you can’t come through, be proactive about letting your client know. Otherwise, any frustration they feel will be compounded by your having mislead them and your business relationship may suffer as a result. To avoid this scenario, set reasonable goals and manage expectations with customers, bosses, and colleagues. Promise only what you are absolutely certain you can deliver. It’s always better to surprise someone by providing more than expected rather than over-promising and under-delivering.
Ultimately, you’re here to serve your customers. If they feel your own agenda is taking priority over theirs, your business relationship will not last very long. You can only meet someone else’s needs if you listen to what those needs are, so always be as ready to hear as you are to speak. Listen to Cydcor President, Vera Quinn on the subject of really hearing your client:
You likely learned about playing “hard to get” in high school. In many ways, the same rules apply when building business relationships. If you appear too interested – contacting them incessantly, coming across as desperate for their business – they may start to suspect that you’re not that hot a commodity. You should seem interested in securing their business and maintaining a fruitful partnership, but make it clear that you have other irons in the fire and will be fine should things not work out. As we said earlier, if you’re clearly demonstrating the value you’ll bring to the relationship, they’ll be interested.
It can be a fine line between projecting confidence and arrogance, but it’s one you’ll have to navigate if you hope to form long-lasting and fruitful business relationships. A client or contact will be impressed by your knowledge and expertise but annoyed if it crosses over into condescension. You demonstrate your value to this business relationship best by doing your job well, not by being your own hype-man. An easy way to avoid sounding arrogant is to continuously show the other party that their thoughts and opinions matter. Remember that all business relationships are partnerships of some kind, meaning that both parties rightly feel that they matter and their ideas have value.
Often we make ourselves most available when we want something, and less so when we don’t. After you complete whatever business you’ve conducted with a client or contact, it can be easy to fall out of touch. Don’t fall into this trap. Make an effort to stay engaged and to continue networking, even when there’s nothing clearly “in it for you.” Business relationships, like fires, require constant kindling, or they can fizzle out. By checking in with clients and contacts on a regular basis, you demonstrate your long-term investment in the relationship and dedication to your customers.
Ultimately, maintaining a real, lasting business relationship is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, it takes work, and it takes commitment. By constantly providing value to your client or contact, consistently delivering what you promise, and by taking the time to nurture the relationship, you can build relationships that will continue to pay off for years to come.
Everyone needs constructive criticism or a second opinion sometimes, but receiving feedback from colleagues and peers can be a lot harder than you’d expect. Many people squirm when they’re asked for their opinions, and they either avoid giving one altogether, or the feedback they offer is overly polite at best, and downright unhelpful at worst. Constructive, honest feedback turns out to be a rare commodity, but getting valuable critiques from trusted peers doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth. Understanding why people avoid offering their honest opinions can help, and being strategic about how you ask for feedback can make getting the answers you need a lot easier.
Reasons People Don’t Give Honest Feedback:
1) Set the Stage for Honesty: When seeking feedback from others, start the conversation by letting them know that you really do want honest feedback. Tell them that you don’t need to know what is working as much as you need to understand what isn’t working. Making a straightforward request for honesty over flattery can help break through the stalemate faster.
2) Ask for Tips, Not Opinions: People are hesitant to offer their honest opinions, because they don’t want to hurt feelings or sound presumptuous. Take the pressure off them by asking what actions you can take, and avoid the issue of opinions altogether. Instead of asking, “Do you like this?” or “Do you think this works?” ask, “How can I make this stronger?” or “Should I add anything else?
3) Guide the Answers with Specific Questions: Sometimes people aren’t sure what kind of feedback you want, so they avoid committing by saying something vague, general, and not very helpful. Point them in the right direction by asking about specific issues you’re hoping to address. Consider questions like, “Does this example help clarify my point?” “Is this chart easy to read?” and “Do you see three sentences I can cut to make this more succinct?”
4) Ask About Weaknesses: People desperately want to avoid saying anything that could be perceived as negative, but that constructive criticism is often the most critical for making real improvements. Ask directly about weaknesses. By putting the idea of weaknesses on the table first, you open the door to constructive criticism and give your colleague unspoken permission to be honest. Try asking, “What don’t you like?” or “What would you do to make it better?”
5) Give it to Get it: Offering your own opinion is one of the most effective ways to get others to share theirs. People give back what they get. Set a precedent of providing your honest opinion when asked. Frequently offer to exchange feedback with trusted colleagues to establish a track record of open communication and create a trusting environment.
6) Embrace the Good AND the Bad: Always show appreciation for feedback, even if when it’s hard to hear. If you react badly when colleagues share their honest opinions, they will never give them to you again. Remember that you’re the one asking for their critique, so it’s only fair for you to accept any constructive criticism they may have. Closing yourself off to honest critiques works against you and your work. Feedback is a gift. It’s your chance to improve your work before its final, but asking for feedback when all you really want is flattery puts your colleagues in an unfair position and wastes their valuable time.
7) Ask the Right People: There will always be some people who are more willing to share their opinions than others. If you really want honest feedback, go to those who will offer it freely. You don’t have to take their advice, but you’re sure to get something valuable from the conversation.
Getting people to be brutally honest in the workplace can be tricky when egos and manners get in the way, but the misconception that being honest IS brutal is the problem to begin with. Help contribute to a corporate culture of open communication by showing your enthusiasm for peer critiques. Thank colleagues who are willing to share their opinions, and fully own whatever feedback they offer. Act as an example to others by sharing your own honest critiques freely. None of us can do our best work in a vacuum, and the advantage of working with a diverse group of people is the unique perspectives individuals can offer to help each other excel.