How can you build a professional relationship with someone you've never met?

The very best way to build a relationship is to practice proactive listening. That is easy to say but not one bit easy to do. The listener would do much better with some coaching or reading on practicing proactive listening. It does not develop on its own. Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, in his book, describes it as a "Blind Spot." Very few business people have had any input on listening skills. The top business people have developed their listening skills.

Start your presentation with a quick icebreaker session. Ask about their work and office to make it engaging. Give them a brief overview of what they can expect from this presentation.

I believe the best answer is to... Give Away Meaningful Value. In a business sense this likely means value that adds revenue. In todays competitive environment - best to be equipped with more than one high-value giveaway. The secret here is to have expertise that has abundant complexity. That way you can give away several key pieces of value but still have value remaining that is required that they can see is worth paying for. We're about to do this with Search Engine Optimisation. If you want an abundance of high value in SEO - just comment SEO or send me a DM. You'll see us exercise this strategy and experience receiving meaningful value first-hand.

When establishing a professional relationship with someone you haven't met, send a quick introduction, show that you genuinely care about their work, and provide value by providing insightful information. Make connections on social media sites like LinkedIn, participate in online events, and politely ask to meet virtually. When possible, use shared contacts, discuss professional updates, and follow up on a regular basis. Be patient, keep your conversation tone professional, and concentrate on your mutual gains. Since relationships take time to develop, making steady, sincere attempts will help you create a deep professional bond.

[1] If possible, some quick background research can be done via secondary research to learn some interesting facts related to the audience and their profession. The information can be integrated within the presentation or used for better communication during the presentation. [2] If prior research is not possible, engaging with the audience to learn about them and relate the information to the topic of the presentation can help keep the audience interested and engaged.

Having a robust presentation framework at hand is crucial. It must be thoroughly tried and tested to ensure its effectiveness. Continuous improvement is vital. Continue what works, cut out what doesn't.

Firstly, define the main goal of presentation, whether it's to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain. Then, know the audience's needs, interests, and knowledge level in order to tailor content accordingly. Using clear visuals that complement spoken words. Encouraging audience interaction through questions or discussions and summarizing the key points after certain interval. Lastly, gather feedback from mentors to refine content.

I have found relatable story telling to be a great tool. A relevant real-life or an imaginary story that connects your audience with ease. Include this in your content planning.

Adding your work's limitations and future recommendations is also a good practice. Using an effective storytelling approach is a bonus, however, overdoing it will kill the presentation and might make it lengthy.

Breathe in and out. Practice mindfulness to release external stress. Prepare yourself for delivery by finding a quiet room, calming down, and staying hydrated and comfortable. It's important to think before speaking and adjust your pace to suit your audience.

While building a professional relationship while delivering a presentation, I think NLP( Neurolinguistic Programming) is really effective. While delivering the presentation, while following general practices such as eye contact etc you should use NLP techniques such as mirror and matching, rapport building, pacing and leading etc

Get involved into the content to an extent that when you deliver it, it sounds natural coming from you. Experiment for both, online and offline deliveries to create an impact.

Assuming this person has a steady online presence on, say, LinkedIn, follow them and engage their content. Not only will you get to know them a little bit by way of reading their thoughts, but it gives you opportunities to ask questions and otherwise softly introduce yourself. Setting the stage for your approach.

When engaging with an audience, I will start by highlighting any commonalities between us, such as attending the same university or working in the same city. This could also include anything related to current events. In between presentations, share an anecdote or scenario where the product or service helped a different client. At the end of the presentation, ask the audience if they have any questions or concerns. Also, inform them about the next steps.

I will begin with a powerful question to grab their attention. Then I will clearly state the purpose and relevance of my presentation. Throughout the presentation I will encourage audience to share their thoughts and also incorporate real-time polls or quizzes. Sharing my relevant personal stories and connecting with my audience emotionally and balancing friendliness with professionalism. Will use strategic pauses to emphasize key points and periodically summarizing the key takeaways. In last, providing opportunities for feedback and questions.

Give your audience some time to digest the learnings. Outline some activities and encourage them to share their feedback on periodic basis. Connect with them on their progress and appreciate + guide them to make it more effective.

Sending a Personalized Thank-You note via email. We can include Presentation Highlights. Asking for feedback in the form of a survey or a direct email request. Connecting with audience by LinkedIn Connection with Personalized Message. Also, we can send proposals for future engagement for our follow-up webinar, workshop, or personalized consultation.

After your presentation, show gratitude for your audience's time and attention. Express thanks, provide additional resources, and ask for feedback. Remind them of your value proposition and call to action. Stay in touch with timely and courteous follow-ups, showcasing reliability and trustworthiness. Keep the communication consistent until they make a decision, demonstrating your commitment to a professional relationship.

The two pieces of advice I’d provide are “give to get” and “ context first”. 1. Give to get: Any time you’re trying to build a relationship, you have to think about emotional equity. It’s like a bank you need to deposit into before you withdraw out of. Think about how you can help the other person - altruistically, not selling your product. We want to help people who help us, so this is usually a good door opener if done right. 2. Context first: Sometimes you don’t have anything you can offer. Especially if the person you’re trying to connect with is ultra successful in business, life, etc. In that case, be very clear about what you’re trying to ask them about or get their perspective on. Don’t make them guess.

If it's a sales presentation and a virtual meeting doesn't help, you can try asking the client to meet physically. Meeting in person has its benefits. Sharing body language and conversing instead of pitching can help get people interested, even over a cup of coffee.

I have experienced that being humble is the key to establish an ongoing relationship. It gives them the comfort to reach out to you on your social handles, or specific contact methods you must have shared with them.

Building a relationship with someone remotely (or even just through emails) is becoming more and more commonplace than ever. A few things I did: 1. Always be polite and courteous, even when dealing with tough situations. The saying, "you can attract more flies with honey than vinegar" is still true even when interactions aren't in person! You will be remembered for your professionalism. 2. Respect their time and all deadlines. That means following up with them through whatever means you've deemed necessary (phone, email, text, letter, fax) within at least 1-2 business days. Communicate of any hurdles you come across that may hinder you delivering upon your promise. Professionalism is key!

A good rule of thumb is quality over quantity and that can be applied in the entire lifecycle of building a relationship cold / without any introduction. From: Your first message - If you haven’t tried it yet; start by giving something instead of asking. Maybe an eGuide or an article you thought I may find professionally valuable Your follow up - How frequent are your follow ups? Are you spamming me at this point? Or are you tactfully checking in to nurture the need? Your delivery - Sometimes we forget to add our personal touch. ChatGPT can be a wonderful tool but nothing can replace the human connection. It’s okay to drop an emoji every now and then and not sound too fancy