Establishing a Long Relationship Goes a Long Way

My relationship with my current employer – the Koekepeer agency from Amsterdam – began a long time ago. Back in 2007, when little did I know about my future professional plans or career. Seán Walsh , the owner and the mind behind the Koekepeer’s value, was a leader of his blues-rock trio playing a tour in Poland, and my dad was managing that tour.

We’ve met each other back then. Later on, as I began my professional career as a translator, I started to work for Sean, doing minor proofreading and language polishing jobs. And, fast forward to 2023, a set of circumstances has led me to a position, in which I became a part of the Koekepeer’s team. Had it not been for the long relationship we had, this would’ve never been possible.

So, what factors did come into play, in this scenario?

First, the standing nature of my relationship with Koekepeer. We’ve been working together for years now, and being a standing contractor, we’ve also learned our ways. We know the way we communicate, and we know what we can expect from each other. This created a deep trust.

And the aforesaid trust placed us in a comfortable position to boost our relationship, it felt very natural. Any long-term business relations are easier to maintain since both parties know the ways around them. And it would not be a eureka moment if one said that both trust, as well as understanding, are built over time.

What are the benefits that mutual trust brings? First of all, the parties to that relationship are more eager to take risks and get outside of each other’s comfort zones. And as we all know, life is what happens outside your comfort zone. Hence, if more risk is involved in the work, the more likely it is to reach a breakthrough or push forward.

Trust also allows one to be more forgiving. When a trust-based relationship is a long-term one, then mistakes are bound to happen. However, with mutual trust, we also give the other party room to err. And to err is a humane thing. As long as those errors do not trump the whole relationship and its rationale, the parties involved will be able to forgive each other and learn from any potential mistakes. On the other hand, consistent delivery of promises or services, and reliability are required to build that trust. Reliability shall constitute the foundation of any secure, long-term strategic partnership.

That trust also allows the parties to engage in a very open, transparent dialogue. And that evolving, open, transparent dialogue is useful in the dynamic business landscape, in which the companies and entities often face changes in market conditions, industry trends, or simply technological advancements – in any long-term relationship, the parties may adapt and evolve together, to meet new challenges. The businesses that stand together and go through the fire are more likely to weather changes and provide value to each other over the long haul.

As the relationship grows, it also compounds over time, just like money, or know-how does. And that means that any strong relationship is usually also a long-term one.

If one looks at the above factors from a B2B, or B2C perspective, as the parties to such a relationship learn how to work together, long-term relations make it possible to create a consistent approach towards collaboration, with alignment of goals, business strategy, beliefs, and values. That kind of cohesion fosters harmony and leads to an in-depth understanding of business processes and workflows which, in turn, boosts the work efficiency and allows for streamlining the operations.

Jacek Siminski