The other "Friend Zone" you want to avoid in Business

The same way you try to avoid the "friend zone" when dating, applies to your clients when working with them! I'm not saying you can't be friendly, but maintaining a professional working relationship with clients is critical, especially when dealing with a large sum of money.

While it may be tempting to become friends with clients, there are potential issues that can arise from mixing business and personal relationships.

1. First and foremost, becoming friends with a client can blur the lines of professional boundaries. This can lead to confusion and misunderstandings about the nature of the relationship. For example, if a client feels that they are more than just a paying customer, they may expect preferential treatment or extra services at no charge. This can put a strain on the business and potentially damage the reputation of the company.
2. Becoming friends with a client can also create a conflict of interest. For example, if a client confides in you about a personal problem, you may feel obligated to offer them a discount or special deal to help them out. This can be seen as favoritism and can create resentment among other clients.
3. Friends often feel comfortable sharing personal information with each other, but as a business owner, it is essential to maintain confidentiality when it comes to client information. Sharing information with a friend can lead to a violation of client privacy and can harm the reputation of the company.
4. How often do things go wrong in business? Yeah, always! Sometimes you need to have difficult conversations with clients, about additional costs, problems, delays, changes etc. Becoming friends with a client, can lead to a feeling of resentment in the event of difficulties arising. Though they may not say it, their feelings towards you could be: "How could you do this to me?" "Why are you charging me more?" "I thought we were friends" "This isn't fair" "Mates don’t do this to each other". They will feel betrayed and you will notice a change in their behaviour.
5. Lastly, building a professional relationship with clients allows for constructive criticism and feedback. It's easier to give and receive feedback when there is a clear professional dynamic. If the relationship is too personal, it can be difficult to provide honest feedback without feeling like you're hurting the feelings of a friend.

Whilst it's not impossible to do business with friends, it just leaves you exposed to risks of resentment and issues within the relationship and it can create potential issues for a business. If you do become friends or working with friends, have the open and upfront converstaion to maintain a professional working relationship, ensure that boundaries are clear, conflicts of interest are avoided, and clients' information is kept confidential. Building a professional relationship also allows for honest and constructive feedback, which is essential for the growth of the business.