As the economic climate remains The Devotion System grim, have you noticed that more people are jumping onto the 'relationship' bandwagon? This recently came to my attention while meeting with a new company to discuss how our businesses could help each other. All they talked about was their business, and after about an hour they finally asked; "Well what do you do?" That was a wakeup call for me.It's great to know that many people are reaching out to work with you, and connecting with other businesses is important to many businesses. However, I wonder if the economy was in a better state, would people still be willing to work together? Once we are out of the recession, will those same businesses still see the value in forming relationships and networking with other companies?
It seems that everyone is using the word relationship, (the "R" word) these days, but I don't think many businesses really get it. Building a relationship with other businesses isn't simply about saying it, but that there is real, genuine effort behind it. Relationships that are built on mutual agreements, understanding and an honest connection that benefits both parties involved are the ones that survive through both bad and good economic times. Nurturing a relationship takes time, and it doesn't happen with just one phone call or one meeting.Another situation where I witnessed the "R" word phenomena was during an event to showcase businesses in the event industry. One of the vendors there was clearly upset and after about 15 minutes of ranting and complaining, she says, "We need to work together and build a strong relationship." It left me wondering if she really meant it, or was just saying it for the sake of 'relationship building.'
- premmathan's blog
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