7 Strategies for Building Strong Business Relationships

With Valentine's Day in mind, Elite Technical is reflecting on the value of strong business relationships. We’re also happy to share seven steps for developing relationships with staying power:

1. Acknowledge Others with Sincere Appreciation.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. Everyone loves to feel appreciated. Acknowledgement of another person's efforts or contributions goes a long way. Whether it is with a spoken thank you, a handwritten note or a phone call, research shows that appreciation goes a long way.

In today’s fast-paced, socially distanced, tech-oriented culture, it’s easy to let personal connection fall by the wayside. Instead, make an effort to personalize interactions as much as possible. As the saying goes, people may forget your words, but they will long remember how you made them feel. (Maya Angelou)

2. Make Yourself Available.

There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to get the answers or service you need when you need it. Being available—and mentally present—for people when they need you helps them know you have their best interests at heart.

Giving of your time is a great way to show people they matter. Listening carefully to their concerns, and responding with empathy and validation, helps people feel heard. When people feel validated, they are more willing to cooperate in problem solving.

3. Cultivate Win-Win Relationships.

Customers want to feel valued, and companies want to make sure they are positioned to serve customer needs. A well-balanced relationship is essential for long-term success!

If a relationship is knocked off kilter by an unexpected event or shift in perspective, search for the best way to restore balance.

One way to safeguard relationships is to step into the shoes of the other person and see things through his/her eyes. Stepping back from your own wants and needs long enough to shift perspective can be very enlightening. It often leads to important information, aka valuable feedback.

Sometimes all it takes is closing your eyes, taking a deep breath and visualizing what the other person must be mentally seeing, hearing or feeling in their own body to come to the conclusions they have.

Today’s leading psychologists and business coaches teach the mental techniques of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) to business leaders. NLP training, developed in the late 1970s, helps people change inside, which facilitates positive behavioral change by increasing awareness of one’s inner language, beliefs and thought patterns. In the process, participants learn how to monitor and shift their ways of thinking.

Dr. Diane Kramer, founder of the Extraordinary Self Program, advises her self-help program participants to visualize themselves stepping into the other person’s shoes.

As you do that yourself, consider what sense the other may be making of the words you use, the services you present, or the images you project. ( Note: Perceptions are filtered not only by facts, but also through the lens of one’s own prior experiences, beliefs and thoughts.)

If visualization doesn’t produce new insights for you, simply ask the other person for feedback on the relationship. This will help you avoid erroneous assumptions. You might ask, “What can I do to ensure that your needs are met?” or “ What else is important to you? or “What factors helped you reach that conclusion?”

Then, determine how best to balance your relationship so that each of you gets your needs met with mutual satisfaction.

4. Keep Your Promises.

It’s very important to protect your reputation at all costs. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you make a promise, keep it. When promises are kept, relationships thrive.

For example, our business relationships resulted in more than 3,000 successful technical placements with more than 400 of the nation’s leading companies. Our satisfaction guarantee is our commitment to keeping our word.

5. Take 100% Responsibility.

It’s tempting to blame others when outcomes aren’t achieved. But, it’s more effective to take take 100% responsibility for the parts of your relationship that are in your control. What could you have done differently? What can you do differently now? What changes do you need in place to negotiate a win-win outcome? What does the other person need for the relationship to work? What steps can you take to make that happen?

When working toward negotiation or compromise, also think about where you may be willing to compromise—or not. For example, if something is super important to the other person, but only a 2 out of 10 on your scale, you might feel fine about giving that item up in exchange for something else you need more from the relationship. That said, these strategies work in business and personal relationships, too!

If your needs are not satisfied, it may be time to part ways. Not all relationships work. But you can improve the odds with extraordinary relationship skills.

6. Always Be Learning.

The difference between being skilled and being masterful is ongoing effort and discovery. For instance, when you first start an exercise plan, it takes a while to see results. But the more time, effort and discipline you add, the better and faster you achieve your goals.

Relationships also take intense commitment. But, first you need to know where you want to go together. Clarify your relationship goals in terms of outcomes needed and priorities. Then, ask yourself, what do you still need to learn or do to reach that Next Step in your relationship? How can you get there?

To figure it out, you may need to get quiet and visualize again. Here’s another NLP technique for you: Visualize a timeline in your mind stretching from past to present to future.

Stand at the present point and look back to see how your present relationships differ from those of your past. What did past relationships look like? How did you feel, think, believe or behave in them? How did past relationships influence your thinking or beliefs?

Next, turn your focus to your present position. What are you experiencing in current relationships? What do you see happening? Do you see repeating patterns? What are you hearing in your mind or from others? What are your feelings like? How could your present relationship(s) be better? What needs to change? What do you need to learn to make that happen? How will you learn it? Who can help?

Next, turn your mind to the other end of your timeline—your future. How will relationships be different when you learn new ways of relating and how to take 100% responsibility for managing your part? How will you feel about your improved relationships? What will they do for you?

To build relationship skills, launch yourself into learning mode. Ask questions. Request feedback and integrate what you learn about the other person into your relationship growth plan. Find a mentor, coach or proven self-help course.

7. Stay Connected.

Let customers, colleagues, friends and family members know you care about them, whether it’s through a phone call, a quick visit (if allowed) or a greeting card. Ask questions, such as “How’s it going?” or “Can we do anything special for you today?”

In the immortal words of Dale Carnegie, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

Remember to touch base regularly. As with an annual physical, business checkups are like preventative maintenance; when done right, they promote feel-good experiences.

Wrap Up