How to have great (business) relationships.

Hi, my name is Dempsey and I’m the sponsorship manager for UCOMMS. When I was asked to write about a blog post, it came to me within 4 weeks. Why not write about something we all could use advice on sometime, (business) relationships. Here are 5 key factors to helping you obtain a life-long relationship with your (business) partner/s, however you float.

Communication is key

Communication is absolutely essential for a great relationship with anyone, obviously including sponsors. When communicating with a sponsor, it is important that all logistics are figured out. Can you commit to each other? What obstacles might get in the way of you two having a life-long (business) relationship? Communications with sponsors can also be done through multiple methods. Face-to-Facebook (Not right now), conference calls and of course everyone’s favourite, emails. The best way to contact a sponsor, however, would be to slide through their DM’s in their social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram are usually an effective way of being able to send the perfect message to get their interest. Don’t be afraid if you get left on read, king, it happens to the best of us. I’m sure they are just busy, that's all…

Or they just won't read it at all

Honesty

Sometimes, you make mistakes about the fact you were going to be there or maybe said you had a bit more money than you thought. That is all ok, as long as you are honest with your (business) partner. Honesty is just as important as communication, as it helps build strong long-term relationships and helps keep your reputation from being down under. It’s also important that you if you feel your (business) partner isn’t being truthful or honest about the facts, that you bring it up with them. In the business world, having multiple partners isn’t frowned upon, so make sure you don’t lash out on them too quickly for that one though. Make sure all the information and facts are given between both partners to ensure an honest playing field.

Trust

Trust and honesty go hand in hand. Simply, you must trust your partner as it helps build a strong (business) relationship. If you don’t feel trust with your partner, then it can lead to insecurities about yourself and will make you theorise of all the possible shady things the partner might be doing. Trust, however, is something which takes time and will take more than a couple of meetings and conference calls to have built trust with a partner. It takes work to create a life-long (business) partner, but it’s important you put in the time as it will lead to exponential benefits both for you and your partner.

Loyalty

Businesses are known for being in polygamous relationships, so we won’t be talking about that kind of loyalty today. More so, we will be talking about making sure that you treat your partner with respect and giving them dedication. Your end goal should be that you and your (business) partner are unbreakable together and that the choices you make consider your partner and it’s the outcome. This takes work and patience. Realize that you both may make mistakes, whether it be through being dishonest, impatient or outbursts of stress and anger. Not everyone’s perfect. As talked about earlier, making sure that you communicate and interact frequently with your business partner, which will in turn help with creating a loyal, loving relationship.

Happiness

Happiness can deteriorate over time with your partner, and that’s okay. It’s important that you apply the first piece of advice and communicate about what things you’re not happy about. Sometimes they won’t accept or these things will prolong themselves for a considerable amount of time. If so, it might be time to break ties with your (business) partner, or possibly break their (gross income) heart. It’s important that this is done professionally and within a physical space. Don’t take it to heart if your (business) partner displays strong negative emotions, as this is a part of life and they will learn to forgive and forget. It’s also just as important that you don't feel upset or delay the inevitable as you know it will hurt them. Again, they will learn to forgive and forget, as you both find another (business) partner someday.

To conclude my post, I’d like to use a quote which I think sums up everything quite nicely. “Business, after all, is just a bunch of human relationships”.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Dempsey.