How can you develop a relationship-focused mindset in your business?

Never walk into a first meeting and aspire to close a deal. First meetings should be about understanding the stakeholder better. Should be about corroborating your homework about stakeholder. First meeting should be about building rapport and comfort with each other. Long term relationship are built when interactions are not transactional

One of the key elements in building a sustained business is how we build meaningful relationships which are a win-win for both parties. At times it may require prioritizing relationships even at the cost of losing a few bucks here or there. One area which i have started to focus on is building trust with a few key stakeholders i have built over a period of time, invest time and develop those. it may not lead to immediate business results but helps in the other most important aspect which is networking. When people trust us, they introduce us to more people and lead to garnering future business gains. I work with this aspect by understanding what motivates people, and addressing those motivations.

While understanding the stakeholders plz go beyond professional approach and try to know them on personal basis. This eases communication channel and trust me you will never have dearth of topics to discuss. Also if you by any chance share a common passion then its a kind of cake walk. Negotiations won't be so hard to have consesnses it they are among friends instead of professionals.

Elevation to enlarge ones territory often considers a wider path for collaboration. Inclusive of both internal and external stakeholders the embrace of cognitive empathy weights in strategic mastery for tactical execution gaining relational potency. Leveraging logic and emotion to gain insights to where their needs are often assists in strengthening the relational bond pouring into them from where ones strengths are. Anchoring in wisdom of the heart to focus on the intangible wealth of solid relationships bridges to promote a feeling of understanding to collectively reach resolutions that elevate all parties and secure a larger territory. The cultivation of it after secured further attests to the relational strength on the front end borne.

One thing I've found to be helpful is getting a thorough understand of the various stakeholders workflow; their daily output, challenges they face in their area and how best you can assist them in terms of easing their work to help your team efficiently. Respect their space and support/assist them to help you better.

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins, author, speaker, coach. My personal code is to understand how people work with each other, and let us know in subtle ways on what is most important for them when they communicate with us and vice versa. The "aha" moment is simply too amazing when they understand that we seek to establish a mutual connect where trust is foremost. That combined with authenticity- a safe environment where we are true to our beliefs and values adds that credibility which in turn builds a stronger relationship with others.

A comunicação é chave para relacionamentos duradouros e fiéis. Os elementos principais de um bom processo de comunicação são: - Informações claras e objetivas sobre o assunto definido; - Transparência nos pontos principais que levam a decisões no relacionamento; - Coerência entre as informações ao longo do tempo; - Informações complementares que auxiliam a compreensão ou facilitam o processo de relacionamento. Esses elementos são necessários em ambos os lados da relação proposta, desde uma simples negociação de compra e venda até a organização das políticas internas de grandes corporações como método eficaz de liderança ativa. A comunicação é, enfim, um processo onde cada parte envolvida deve sair melhor ao seu final.

Emails are generally a waste of time, engage through conversations when dealing matters to efficiently deliver as a team. What I have seen is that a 10 minutes conversation can replace email conversation that can take a day or even two (2) with back and forth clarity seeking and misunderstanding.

As part of communication it’s important to discuss and communicate on what happens when things go wrong (like transition to another vendor incase service contracts) Generally, ppl are scared to talk about it but its important to do hard talk initially instead of doing it when something wrong has actually happened.

We were given two ears to listen more and just one mouth to talk less. Remember also that people naturally love to be acknowledged and to talk about themselves-its the first thing we ought to understand when building relationships. Its most definitely the wise course of action to listen intently so as to absorb all pertinent information before offering our perspective or viewpoint. Listening to understand the problem then align or custom make your solutions to the customer or stakeholders need and not the other way round.

To deliver value to the stakeholders, we must have a win-win solution in mind. This relationship will strengthen when we try to find solutions to fulfill customer's needs rather than just delivering off-the-shelf products or services. In order to deliver the value we have to figure out how we can best satisfy the customer's needs even if it requires out-of-the-box thinking and a unique solution.

Profitable relationships are created when you focus on benefits to your customer and you can clearly outline where the benefit they accrue is atleast a multiple of the spend. And key for you is to keep costs low so that the price to your customer is a multiple of the cost.

Effective pitching is the key. We can spend all the time in the world, working out a return on effort and investment from a joint collaboration, but if you are unable to successfully pitch the idea across the table and win their vote, then you have lost before you have even begun.

In the business world, delivering value goes beyond simple transactions or services provided. For me, it's about building meaningful relationships and creating memorable experiences. Throughout my career, I've learned that every interaction is an opportunity to enrich a relationship, whether with a client, partner or teammate. It is attention to detail, active listening and a genuine desire to understand and meet the needs of others that define true value. In every interaction, I seek not just to satisfy, but to inspire, support and strengthen the bond we share. Because at the end of the day, it is these human connections that give true meaning to our work.

You Reap What You Sow with a positive outlook. You will eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions. In a positive way this means that the more effort you put into it, the higher the chances of success.

It's not just about collaborating and co-creation if you just collect new ideas or feedbacks without acting. Ensure that all parties involved in the collaboration have a clear understanding of the goals, objectives, and expected outcomes of the partnership. Make sure you have valuable outcomes which might motivate to continue/expand the collaboration

When sharing information, divulge all the details regardless of whether they are pros or cons. Where there's risks state them and mitigate as opposed to withholding information. This will in turn create and strengthen the relationships as it creates trust between the parties.

The real magic in business happens when minds come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. I believe that collaboration and co-creation are essential to unlocking this potential. On my journey, I've come to realize that when we give space to a diversity of ideas and encourage active participation, innovative and impactful solutions emerge. However, collaboration is not just about ideas; it's about building trust, respecting different perspectives and working towards a common goal. By embracing co-creation, we not only elevate our business, we also strengthen the bonds we have with our stakeholders, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

Teamwork is the Dreamwork. Dividing tasks and responsibilities among a team can lead to better outcomes than a single person doing the same task. There is no right or wrong. Practice makes perfect.

When people feel heard and valued, they become more invested in their work and in their relationships. The best is to offer to the people a safe environment in which they can feel they can freely express themselves without fear of judgement. In the same time its important for the people to understand their role to play for them to be able to bring their contributions to the overall goal and come mid way to reach the expectations.

My favourite method is a lunch catch up over coffee, a good chat about where we are heading, and any ideas or I'll offer to help them with projects they may have underway (pro-bono) and I will pay for lunch. Relationships come in all shapes and sizes. They are hard work but so worth it in the end.

Once again, you reap what you sow. You plant good seeds and one day you will bear fruits. Make an orchard and the sky is your limit. Dream big !

I think we always need to look at the relationship lifecycle, see in which stage the relations are and because relations evolve over the time, keep the lines of communication open and periodically assess the health of the relationship. Look always for the win win part and why not sometimes give more without any expectation for return. I always like to see the good part in people. What you seed you get. So give good to receive good.

Best advice I was given was as a young 15yr old. I waa advised to seek out a mentor from those I admired and learn the ropes from them. Now in my mid 40's I have 10 mentors, each offering a strength where I have a weakness, each have walked a different life journey and, each have a different communication approach. They are teaching me how to pitch ideas through to new audiences. I've gained new life experiences, new skills or advanced on the old ones, and from each mentor I not only learn new ways of working, networking, leading and researching, I also learn more about who I am and what I can give back, when I pay it forward.

Make learning an ongoing process to be prepared to respond to anything that comes into your life. The best investment is to invest in yourself, to evolve continuously and grow. Have coaches, have mentors along the way that will help you see things from different angles, surround yourself with people that see good in you and that focus on the good. Avoid toxic environments, these are like a plague.

Communication is the bridge that connects ideas, feelings and intentions. I've realized that true communication goes beyond words; it's about creating a space where people feel heard and understood. During my journey of managing talent and establishing strategic partnerships, I have learned that clarity and authenticity are crucial. In a world full of noise and distractions, it is essential to be direct but also empathetic. When dealing with different stakeholders, I have adapted my approach to meet their specific needs, always prioritizing active listening. I believe that by striving to truly understand the other person's point of view and communicating our intentions transparently, we can build stronger, longer-lasting relationships.

Every person has a great potential but whether they reach that potential or not depends on what they believe or not on the potential itself. We should never forget to prioritize people first, place customers, employees, stakeholders at the forefront of the company business strategy. I always tailor my products and services to meet clients and stakeholders needs and desires and celebrate each milestone achieved whether is small or significant.

Great insights from all points above, but it is also worth considering that in order to build a business based on relationships and not just purely transactional in nature, you must hire and surround yourself with like-minded people from the start. Imagine you are the leader being so focused on being great at relationships, then you pass the client through to the admin or sales teams and they only care about their KPIs or getting the sale. It will undermine all the great work you put in. So the key here is to not only build a great relationship mindset for yourself, but to hire the right team around you from the start, and to lead motivate and incentivize them so they they contribute to the relationship building process and not hinder it