Written by Mike McMullin
Relationships Drive Business.
This should come as no surprise when you consider we all cherish relationships in our personal lives, and we embrace them possibly more than anything else. So, what do we do when a business relationship turns into a personal relationship? What is the best way to handle a difficult situation so that it doesn’t hurt the business or the personal relationship?
If a business relationship evolves into a personal relationship, we have cause to celebrate. We’re obviously doing something right to have built a foundation of trust and friendship. We’ve also earned the right to hope for forgiveness if a difficult situation comes up and we fail to live up to expectations. Our past performance has proven that we’ve been sufficiently excellent in turning a customer into a friend, and most people will have the grace to work through a bump in the relationship road.
Relationships, however, are tricky. Even the closest relationships are messy, because people are messy. We see things from our own perspective and feelings can be hurt in the most innocent of circumstances. One wrong word or text or email may be interpreted in a way we never meant for it to be.
Something said, or not said, can leave a person wondering what was really meant. A look, or a laugh, or your tone of voice can offend deeply. Couple this with the fact that most people who are offended will not confront the perceived offender and you have a recipe for disaster. They’ll bury the hurt and let it fester until, like a cancer, it kills the relationship entirely.
Completely avoiding this type of relationship time bomb is close to impossible, because it takes two parties willing to confront and share disappointments. As a business owner, however, you can proactively take time to gauge the health of your relationships by asking your clients and customers if all is well. Give them time to answer and let them know you’re giving them a safe zone to express any negative feelings.
If, however, they simply decide to end their association with you without discussion, you should seek to learn from this experience and stay true to the same customer philosophy that has distinguished you from your competition. Don’t let a bad experience cause you to become guarded in your treatment of your clients and customers. Be true to yourself and embrace these relationships.
