Business Success Revolves Around Relationship Management

Though we receive little training in this area, building and maintaining our personal and business relationships can be crucial to our success. Studies have shown that those of us who are considered likable are more likely to be hired for jobs or awarded new business. Spending some time learning to improve your communications and relationship skills is time well spent.

There is much talk about transparency in the business world these days. Transparency is really just being honest. Corporations have failed in their levels of honesty with stakeholders and thus, there is a new push to be extremely honest. Transparency means admitting fault immediately and without excuses, letting people know how you intend to make amends and then following through. Research shows that customers are actually more loyal when you’ve made a mistake, fessed up, and fixed it than if you’d never made the error!

Looking someone in the eye is a way to be seen as confident and interested. No one wants to interact with someone who appears to not be paying attention because their eyes are glancing to other things or people in the room. Giving someone your focus lets them know that what they are saying is important to you.

People want to feel known. We all have a story to tell, but most of us are so eager to tell it we never ask other people about theirs. By truly wanting to get to know your customers or employees, you build loyalty and support. This also helps you root out problems early. Be of service and learn to truly ask and listen to the people around you.

Body language is a subtle, non-verbal way that people unintentionally communicate their feelings. Whether their head is tilted a certain way, their arms or crossed or they seem distracted, learning to read these cues can help you steer conversations to a more agreeable place. This is especially helpful in sales moments, but can be useful in all your interactions with others.

Be liberal with praise. Dale Carnegie, in his classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, recommended finding one thing with every person that you meet that you can genuinely praise or compliment. This is true with customers but also with employees. Recruiting staff is much more expensive than retaining them. Make it a goal to praise people once per week or more for their work, how they handled a situation or just their overall demeanor.

Allow others to offer their input and criticism of your performance and delivery. When you do this, you create an environment of reciprocation and openness, making it easier to have an honest exchange and create a strong relationship. Learn to improve your communications and likability will increase your chances of business success.

With 30 years of consulting experience, Steven Schlagel offers training and coaching for startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check his site for more articles to increase your success!