Build Solid Relationships

BursaSnipers

Publish date: Tue, 27 Aug 2019, 10:36 AM

9 According to the National Association of Realtors, almost 80% of consumers say they would work with their agent again, yet only around 12% actually do so. There’s clearly a better way to handle relationship building.

Regardless of your industry, “How much money are you leaving on the table that you could have had if only you had stayed in touch?” asks Zvi Band, author of “Success is in Your Sphere: Leverage The Power Of Relationships To Achieve Your Business Goals.”

Band is the co-founder and CEO of Contactually, a CRM platform for relationship-oriented businesses.

Tips on building up relationships:

› Determine your goals. Saying to yourself that you just want to “network” or “stay in touch” doesn’t provide you with much direction, Band says. “You risk filling your sphere with people who won’t be of help to you and vice versa.” Put deep thought into what you’re trying to achieve, he advises.

› Identify difference-makers. We all meet many interesting people with whom we’d like to stay in touch. “However, in order to be successful we have to stay focused on the people whom we can help and can help us in our goals,” Band says.

Identify the types of people who complement your overall goals, and fill your sphere as much as possible only with those people, he says.

› Stay in the moment. It’s critical that we connect with and understand the people we are working to build relationships with, Band says.

While we should leverage online sources at our disposal, Band says the best information is given to us though small talk and then is often forgotten.

He says this includes things like: “What do they like to do on the weekend? What are their goals for the year? Why did they choose this career? How is the business doing? What is their family situation? Who do they root for?”

› Understand needs. Like in a real-life relationship with a significant other, the goal is to listen and help create mutual benefits and solutions when creating a networking relationship. That’s from Scott Pansky, co-founder of Allison+ Partners, a global marketing communications agency with 30 offices worldwide.

In addition, exercise patience. Don’t rush relationships as they take time, Pansky says.

“The more you understand your partner’s needs, challenges and opportunities, the more you can provide good counsel,” he says. “Building trust is earned, not given.”

› Reciprocate. Offer in-kind services, Pansky said. This could be strategic counsel, introductions to other organizations, writing a document or attending a meeting.

“Your personal skills are appreciative and offering counsel doesn’t cost anything,” he says. “There is a reason you are in a relationship and in a position to earn the trust of your partners.”

› Convey your sincerity. Don’t look at relationships only as profit centers.

“People first, their business second or third,” Pansky said. “If you are trying to build a relationship just to get business, that person will smell it in a heartbeat.”

A real, genuine relationship might take longer to develop, but it is the one “which most of all builds trust,” he says.

› Avoid pitfalls. Why do people fail to follow up and stay in touch? Some simply forget about the relationship entirely. Band recommends to aggregate; pull all your relationship information into one place.

Others don’t carve out the time to stay in touch. They prioritize their time around more top-ofmind tasks like email and current projects.

To counter this, Band says block off time in your calendar every week, at least, for relationship building.

› Enhance follow-ups. We should ensure every time we’re connecting with someone in our sphere, it’s not “just following up” on a previous message, Band says.

“Even if it’s a simple ‘just thinking of you!’ message — we’re delivering the feeling that we genuinely care about that person,” he says.

The most effective relationship marketing tactic is focusing every one of your actions on being personal and authentic, Band said “Make sure that shines through.”

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