Relationships……or a one night stand?

Throughout our business life we see people come and go, but some actually stay. It is wonderful to see when business owners or professionals have the ability, and more importantly the desire to build long-term, solid relationships.

There is a plethora of individuals who hand out their business cards like a Black Jack Dealer, yet rarely show “their” cards. So, what sets the two types of individuals apart?As I see it, the people in your business life that will be there for you, the morning after the networking event the night before, bring a special something. While I have talked and written about it before, it is of course, “LRT”. Like, Respect and Trust are the foundation of any relationship. Business or Personal. There are no lights flashing or bells sounding off to validate that someone meets your LRT criteria, or that you meet their LRT criteria. It is about action and a feeling that it “just is”.In a recent business meeting that I was facilitating it was evident that two individuals did not trust one another. In light of my relationship with both of them, I called them on it…. to confirm what we already knew.

Some food for thought…..at least in my opinion. LRT is a process, meaning it doesn’t magically happen in 3-5 minutes, but rather it evolves over time. In some cases, the process is lightning fast. This was the case when I met my dear friend and business associate Arnold, almost 10 years ago. You couldn’t explain it……it “just is”. In some cases, it takes weeks, or months……that’s ok.

Here is a way to accelerate the process. YOU decide to Like, Respect and Trust first. If I act accordingly, amazing things start to happen. Someone may ask….why are you being so nice to me? Response: Because I like you. Someone may ask….why did you have my back today in that meeting? Response: Because I respect you. Someone may ask….why didn’t you take a copy of our signed contract? Response: Because I trust you.

These simple steps can make all the difference in taking a business relationship to the next level. Who do you know in your business world that meets your LRT criteria? Ask yourself, Why? Do you meet everyone else’s LRT? What would you need to do to take those relationships to the next level?

We would welcome your comments on this week’s blog and would enjoy learning how you build effective business relationships.

Topics: Relationships