Focus On Relationships, Not Transactions

This is one of my many business motto's and something that during my 30 years’ experience, I’ve come across far too often. Too many people focus on the end result – the transaction – and do not place enough importance on the steps you take to getting there – the journey. There are so many people who claim they’ve found the secret formula to securing a deal when in reality, it’s as simple as making people like you. People buy people, not products and nobody wants to buy something from someone they don’t like, that’s a fact! To get to the final leg of your journey, you need to humanise yourself and show the client you’re more than just a smile and a suit. Show that you understand their needs and you truly believe you can offer something beneficial.

Recruitment is my forte and I’ve made my success by understanding that people make businesses, not transactions. I’ve spent my career searching for the best people in the business and making good, lasting relationships with my colleagues and clients. Incidentally, there are a lot of bad recruiters out there who are only interested in reaching their ultimate target and ignore the process in between, they want to finish the race before it’s even started. Business shouldn't just involve walking up to a counter, placing an order, getting what you want and walking away – it should be a two way process. To do this you need to create value before expecting it in return.

Nobody likes cold calling or following dead leads, what we love is developing good, professional working relationships which have the potential to flourish.

The biggest mistake people make in business is underestimating opportunities. When I was starting my first recruitment business, Alexander Mann, I would take the time to meet every one of my clients, take a proper brief and get all the information I needed first-hand. Not only was this so much more effective than a phone conversation, it also gave me the chance to get to know my client and find some common ground.

It’s true what they say, out of sight then out of mind, especially in business. The more you see your client, the more they engage and begin to feel comfortable handing over more and more business.

Relationship building takes time, effort and dedication. It’s not a simple ‘hello I’m James, let’s do business’ job. To help make the most of your business relationship, I suggest taking these two concepts into consideration;

Change perceptions

People always associate you with what you market, not what you do. For example, if someone were using a recruiter to hire a new finance director, more often than not, the perception is that’s all they deal with – they only recruit for the finance sector. The only way to avoid this is to ensure you make your clients aware of your full service and guide them away from making the wrong assumptions. Quick tip: Try asking them what else they’ve got on, this way you can tailor your pitch to their response and let them know how you can help. 

Judgement day

You will always be judged on your last transaction because that’s the last thing your client will remember. It’s also your last chance to make a good impression.

To ensure you are always bettering yourself, I would suggest using the pre-close. Find out their key reservations and any reasons they wouldn’t come back to you again. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed because it enables you to amend, grow and develop your strategy in order to perfect relationships in future. If they’re not telling you, they’ll be telling others around them and in this game, anything you don’t know could be a potential hurdle.

Relationships are built on trust, commitment and loyalty, three things you need in order to retain a client base. Most of the deals I made when I was starting out came from returning customers or people who heard good things from those clients. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire – so take advantage!

The next time you’re on the road to securing deal, think about all the above. I guarantee you’ll get a better result in the long run.

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