How Relationship Business Works

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This is how humans are made: it is easier for us to trust someone we know personally. In Asian and Middle Eastern countries, the entire business culture is based on this . In China, there is even a separate concept of "guanxi", which is translated as "nepotism", "connections". The definition implies social capital and does not include a negative connotation.

Having dinner at a good restaurant, exchanging turkey telegram number database photos of children, and sometimes getting to know family or relatives is not an optional, but a mandatory preliminary part of business negotiations.

This is not accepted in European and American business circles. They look first at the company's reputation. Russian business culture has formed its own unique path. We check how the company has proven itself: what projects are in the portfolio, what place it occupies in the market. But we also cannot do without connections and personal acquaintances.



At the first stage of B2B sales, the client is "cold". The sales manager has two opportunities to establish contact: at an informal or business meeting.



Formal introduction
Let's start with an example where the first interaction takes place in a businesslike and impersonal setting. The sales manager has two tasks: to create a favorable impression of the company and to sell a service or product.

The first task is more important than the second, since in the long term it can close both issues. A favorable impression of the company will help to form a trusting relationship, on which all work with the client will be built.

To make a good impression, talk about what you can do for the client and be honest about what you can't do. This will solve the problem: you will create trust between you and the client. Honesty is the basis of doing business in the long run. If you lie, you will lose more than you win.

If you have something to offer right away, your expertise will help build trust. A good sales manager in this case can answer any question, offer solutions and outline a clear action plan.

On topic: Customers are more likely to forgive a service for a mistake if they receive an apology rather than compensation — study



Informal acquaintance
If we are talking about meeting in an informal setting: at a meetup, charity fair or party, then here, unlike a formal meeting, the goal is the opposite - to establish personal contact and not touch on the topic of business.

Nobody wants to talk about work in their free time. A person will remember you if you can find an approach to them: make pleasant company, show yourself to be a good conversationalist, find common interests and topics for conversation. And only later, when such contact is established, you can talk about work.

In our experience, most deals are concluded after establishing personal contact, and not the other way around. There are plenty of reliable companies with good deals on the market. But there are far fewer of those with whom you find it easy and comfortable to work. Therefore, it is after personal contact is established that even “stuck” deals begin to move toward completion faster.

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