Business Relationships

by Clara DeRosier
Executive Director

I recently experienced hail damage to my car and had an insurance adjuster come out to take a look at the cost for repair. As the agent began his evaluation, he saw my daughter’s car seat in the back of the car and told me that he would be right back. When he returned he had a stuffed teddy bear that he wanted to give to my baby. She now displays this teddy bear in her room with all of her other stuffed animals. I am now reminded daily of the nice gentleman who was thoughtful enough to make that connection with me and my family. And of course Teddy is sporting a t-shirt with the logo of the insurance company for all to see! This made me dive deeper into thought about the importance of relationship building across all business types.

Building relationships establishes trust between you and that other individual. Webster defines trust as the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.  All of which are qualities that customers and business owners look for when determining who they want to work with. During any project there will be numerous people you encounter, interact and work with. It is important to make yourself known to them all. The relationships and trust that you build with these people may be the reason that you land that next big contract or the reason why their neighbor calls you next time they need service. Business owners and home owners always prefer to hire and work with someone who they can trust.   

Trust and relationships can be built by taking a little extra time. This time put in on the front end will pay off big on the back. Take the time to get to know the team, management or home owner that you are working for and with. Find out how they like their coffee, if they have kids, what sports team they root for – these extra steps and personal touches create common ground and a sense of familiarity. It is easy for most people to talk about themselves, so just begin by asking the questions!