Step one to Success.

Creating and keeping healthy business (and personal) relationships it at the core of success. Some relationships are for a lifetime. Business relationships are in most cases time dated in that either the relationship is at one passing point of sale or last throughout the course of a business. Thinking about your business as a ‘factory’ for building good relationships will give you a sense of how  relationships are the meet and bones of your business. The blood of your business is of course, positive cash flow.

Back in the day “the customer was King” was our mantra. But I’m going to recommend something a bit more radicle. Depending on what kind of business you are in the type and term of your business relationships may vary. Howeve,r the more you put into the ‘relationship’ the bigger the return. This is common sense but harder to do than to talk about.

I do stand on the golden rule: treat others as you would treat yourself. However, some of us don’t treat ourselves very well do we? If you are overworked and underpaid, well you get my point. That said, the goal is to be as present with your customers and potential customers as possible. What does “be present” mean?

Technically, to be present means that all your focus, your attention is with the other person. To accomplish this I recommend you take a deep breath each time you engage someone and then focus your eyes on their eyes while standing not too close. Breathe into your belly thru your chest and back out. This may take practice…so practice with another person or at least in front of the mirror. Etiquette may dictate that you shake hands or more likely at work, you may have a greeting already prepared. No matter what you say, saying it from a grounded place will be way more effective than as an automatic greeting usually sounds. Greeting someone from this grounded place will have a positive effect for you and the person you’re greeting.

This may be a baby step on the road to building customer relations but it is a very important step. Do not skip this step. Again try this exercise and practice it until the people close to you notice “something different”. This is not about being forceful or manipulative. This is about you being REAL and in the moment. The better you get at this the more successful you will be…in whatever you do.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

mgmauldin