To form good business relationships, we all need to develop the KNOW, LIKE & TRUST with others. Without really knowing and trusting another person, it is unlikely that business will be transacted between each other or for referral business to happen.
KNOW
Getting to know each other is really quite easy, but sometimes, some of the vital steps to achieve this are overlooked.
It is important to ensure you spend ‘quality’ time getting to know each other. To do this you need to set aside a time to meet face to face or online, to find out more about each other and to hopefully build rapport.
Getting to know the other person:
- Ask questions of the other person to find out more about them and their business. Remember to ask open ended questions rather than closed questions. Closed questions are ones that usually get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer rather than one that encourages an answer that involves a lot more information and conversation.
- Listen without talking too much about yourself- use the 80/20 rule for listening versus talking. By listening more, and talking less, you will get to hear more about the other person and allow them to do what they like to do most, talk about themselves.
Let others know about yourself and:
- Be able to succinctly describe the benefits of your service. Know and practice your ‘pitch’ and remember, if you cannot describe what you do clearly, no one else will understand what you do or be able to share this with others to give you referrals.
- Be specific about who your ideal client is and who you want to be connected with
- Tell others how they can recognise others who may be in need of your service. Give examples of what people may be saying to ‘trigger’ others to know they need your help
- Let them know how they and others can get in contact with you E.g. cards, LinkedIn, email etc.
- Share any promotional material you may have that clearly conveys the value you offer to others.
LIKE
Show others that you like them and help them to like you.
Ways to do this include:
- Be supportive and helpful to others where possible. This could be in business and/or on a personal level.
- Provide written, video or verbal testimonials where possible. A great idea is to offer to give a testimonial rather than only give when asked, this will show that you really like and care about the other person.
- Never criticise others. Just imagine, if you criticise someone then the person you are talking to, may wonder if you criticise them to others. No one likes to be around people who talk negatively about others.
TRUST
Show that you are trustworthy.
- Be authentic- remember it is you who people want to do business with, and this is your ‘unique’ selling point. Others will see through your ‘act’ if you are not being yourself. Sometimes we see people who we really admire and want to be like, but if we take on other people’s actions and characteristics and it is not like us, then other people will see through this. This may not be evident to either of you but may result in the other person not truly connecting with you and vice versa.
- Deliver on your promises and exceed expectations with the service you provide. ‘Go the extra mile’ to show how much you appreciate the other person and that you can be trusted to deliver a great service.