Relationships first, bottom line second

I was recently told by a new client that the reason she chose to do business with me is because I made the time to follow-up and didn’t brush her off when she had questions. It’s quite a compliment to get from a client, but it also illustrates my own philosophy. Relationships first, bottom line second.

Many businesses focus on the bottom line first. They want to know when they’ll get paid, and sometimes will refuse to answer questions because they worry they are giving away too much, but I think making the time to answer questions is important, because questions indicate interest and a desire to understand more. They also indicate the person isn’t sure if they want to do business with you and need some more information in order to make the right choice.

But I also see questions as an opportunity for building relationships. Sure, I’m providing information, but I’m also getting to know the person and by making the effort to find out more, I show that person that I see his/her needs as opposed to a check.

I also think that business is never just business, but also relationships. If I’m doing things right, I will be seeing my clients regularly at networking events and other places and I will continue to get to know them, just as they will get to know me. I’ll become a client for some of them, and I’ll want to know they’ll take care of me, just as I took care of them. If I treat them less like people and more like a check, I’ll probably get the same treatment, when I need them. But if I take care of my clients and focus on building a relationship first, they’ll treat me the same way when I need their services. I’ve seen this occur time and time again, because in the end people do care more about how you treat them than how much they’ll get paid. The bottom line will occur, but build your relationships and your bottom line will really grow.

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