Relationships, relationships, relationships. Much like how location influences property value in real estate, solid relationships impact business success. Yes, you need solid marketing and effective sales. Sure, systems and processes matter. Certainly, you must deliver excellent services or products.
But, while each of these aspects of your firm matters, one of the greatest drivers of business success is the connection to other people.
Relationships within a business can be defined in three core spheres:
- Network relationships: Colleagues and business connections that open opportunities and help get things done.
- Internal relationships: Employees and contractors who help the business run
- External relationships: Clients who benefit from your services or products.
Each sphere matters greatly. In this article, we’ll focus on external relationships with clients who put their trust in you to deliver quality service. Solid relationships can lead to inbound leads via referrals, happy clients who evangelize your awesomeness, a long list of testimonials and online reviews that make it easier to win new clients, and a sense of satisfaction as you delight your clients over and over again.
This article provides scalable tips, depending on your business stage, though it is particularly targeted to solopreneurs, small business owners, and leaders.