Establishing and maintaining valuable business contacts requires time and effort. Accordingly, companies should proceed systematically when establishing and expanding a network of relationships.
The following collection lists some basic procedures:
- Proper networking begins with good preparation and analysis
The term “business relationship” already implies it: Building and maintaining relationships in a business context is never without purpose. Rather, the overriding goal is to benefit your business – and that of your network partner – in the medium or long term. Therefore, before you start contacting, analyze exactly: With which persons, companies and organizations could it be worthwhile to build up a relationship with? - Networking takes time
You cannot buy a good network immediately or easily. It must be worked out. If you don’t visit trade fairs or events due to lack of time, you won’t be able to meet people there. And if you visit or invite acquaintances too seldom, you will not build up a personal relationship with them. On the contrary, the relationship grows cold over time. This also applies to existing customers. - Build new contacts with “a System”
One contact is not yet a relationship. A sustainable relationship can only grow from a large number of contacts. Once contacts have been made, they need to be nurtured so that they don’t grow stale. This requires time – time that you often do not have in your daily work. That’s why it’s important to have a good system for maintaining contacts and building relationships. - Preparation is important
As building and maintaining personal relationships takes time, it’s important to be prepared. Accordingly, it is important not to cultivate relationships with just anyone. No one can maintain intense relationships with more than 120 people. It’s about quality rather than quantity, because time is always limited. - Communicate appreciatively
The goal is not to close a deal in the short term. Rather, it’s about building long-term relationships with others because they are based on mutual appreciation. This requires that you have a genuine interest in the target person. - Only a give and take will bring the desired synergies
Business relationships also need to grow. If you always want something but rarely give it, you quickly come across as unsympathetic. No one can maintain intense relationships with more than 120 people. It’s about quality rather than quantity, because your (and your partners) time is always limited. - Communicate appreciatively
The goal is not to close a deal in the short term. Rather, it’s about building long-term relationships with others because they are based on mutual appreciation. This requires that you have a genuine interest in the target person. - Only a give and take will bring the desired synergies
Business relationships also need to grow. And if you always want something but rarely give it, you quickly come across as unsympathetic. In order for other people to trust you, you must be prepared to make advance contributions. For example, by revealing knowledge in conversations. - Network your contacts with each other – the indirect network
A network is not a string, but consists of many crisscrossing threads interwoven with each other. Therefore, you should also work to build relationships between your network partners. Network successes between your partners may fall back on you.