7 Keys to Building Better Business Relationships

Building business relationships is a never ending process regardless how long you have known your colleagues at work or the clients you serve. Every time you interact with another person you are either positively building on a relationship or tearing it down. The trick of course is to insure that you are always building the relationship in the direction you want and that can sometimes be difficult to do. However, if you practice the seven tips listed below your dealings with others will go smoothly.

1. It’s always a first impression

You already know the importance of first impressions. When you first meet a person be it face to face or on the phone or in writing, you are conveying an image that the other person can’t help but make a snap judgment and burn into their mind their first impression of you. But have you considered that every time you interact with a person, you have the same opportunity to create that impression be it for good or bad. Just because you know someone, don’t take the virtual roundtables relationship for granted. Keep treating them with respect and you will be creating positive first impressions over and over again.

2. Respect is everything

Before there can be a meaningful positive relationship there has to be mutual respect. Mutual respect is a two way street meaning that if you’re dealing with your boss or a client, they have to respect you as well as you respecting them. Without respect, whatever relationship you develop has a foundation of sand and can topple easily. Just keep in mind that if you try to earn their respect and the attempts fail, that relationship is doomed to fail as well.

3. Communication is a full body exercise

To be a truly effective communicator you have to become a skilled listener and translator of body language. Just listening isn’t enough. You have to become adept at judging the emotional state of the other person to understand context of what is being said. When it’s your turn to talk remember that the other person is consciously or subconsciously watching your body language as well. If all your communications are honest, then your body will naturally respond to your emotions.

4. Be thoughtful

Random acts of thoughtfulness make huge impressions because thoughtfulness in the business world is a fairly rare commodity. Use the calendar on your Outlook and enter birthdays and work anniversaries and make a point to convey congratulations, preferably in person but by phone or email if you can’t. You don’t have to buy a gift, just the fact that you remembered their special day is gift enough.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4856819

Building business relationships is a never ending process regardless how long you have known your colleagues at work or the clients you serve. Every time you interact with another person you are either positively building on a relationship or tearing it down. The trick of course is to insure that you are always building the relationship…