Building Business Relationships: Transcending from the “Follow Up”

Building relationships with business owners can be both a rewarding and challenging experience. Often, the initial meeting sets the tone for future interactions. However, there have been times in my past when business owners weren't as eager to build a relationship with me as I had hoped. There could be various reasons for this, but I know that one key factor was my choice of words.

In the business world, we often refer to this as the "follow-up." Personally, I dislike this term. When we meet someone for the first time in our personal lives and call them to get together for lunch, dinner, or an evening of fun, we don't refer to it as a follow-up. We should approach meeting a person for the first time in business similarly to how we do in our personal lives. Of course, we maintain professional boundaries and don't indulge in our personal space as we do with friends or family, but the principle remains the same.

Let's avoid using terms like "following up" or "checking in" with your clients or customers. Such phrases can trigger a defensive response, putting them into fight-or-flight mode, and they might try to get rid of you quickly. Instead, when calling back leads who didn't buy from you a few months ago, try this approach:

"Hello Sharon, this is <your name>. You've been on my mind, and I have some time to speak with you. In our last conversation, we discussed <specific topic you can help with>."

This method eases their mind and body into the conversation without making them feel pressured to buy from you. Be confident in what you can do for them and stay focused on how you can help them and why they need your service or product. If you need further assistance with this, feel free to reach out to us or join our VIP group.