Why Relationships Matter
As you may have noticed, the world is full of people. That means you’re in the people business, regardless of what you do. Anything we do— no matter how obscure and far removed from the public it may seem— ultimately involves people in some fashion or form. Your relationships with these people will go a long way in determining your business success.
Relationships matter in business, now more than ever.
Customers have access to more information than they’ve ever had, and they have more choices too. With the touch of a cell phone button they have easy access to hundreds of service providers, reviews on those service providers and product information. In that vast sea of information, what separates you from your competitors? A great website or an attractive store front might help, but they won’t close a sale for you.
That’s where relationships come in.
They create trust. Would you be more inclined to take advice from a long-time friend or a complete stranger? It’s not a hard choice for most people. By establishing a relationship with your customers, you become more than just the faceless corporate entity that wants to separate them from their money.
They create good feelings. “Acme Company means quality.” “XYZ Corp means great service you can count on.” These are the feelings you want your customers to have about your company. By establishing a relationship with them, you create a warm memory that will reside in the back of their minds the next time they need something. You bring about a positive image that will stay with them, and over time comes to be associated with you and your brand.
They create forgiveness. You want every interaction with every customer to be picture perfect every time. Unfortunately, reality isn’t always so generous. Sooner or later a customer is going to be dissatisfied with your product or service, or worse, you’re going to make a mistake. Building a relationship with your customers builds up a reservoir of goodwill that can be used in these circumstances. Like a friend, they’ll be inclined to cut you some slack as you work to address their issues.
They create great word-of-mouth. You can buy all the advertising you want— giant billboards, huge website banners, TV spots and more. To a potential customer, none of this marketing will have the same effect as someone they know, like, and trust telling them what a great experience it was dealing with your company. Being authentic in your marketing automation is great way to leverage yourself and build relationships.
The world is full of people and the simple fact is that people trust friends more than they trust ads. By forming a relationship with your customers, you become the friend that has their best interests at heart and just so happens to have the perfect product or service to make their lives easier.