How to Build Quality Relationships (Part III)

We've spent the last couple of days focusing on the importance of relationships as they relate to our business. Today, we share a "how-to," if you will.

Gauri Sharma is the CEO of Lab42. She shares her "Seven Best Practices For Building Client Relationships" with Forbes Magazine.

Be patient in building new relationships. Relationships take time. Resist indulging in disingenuous schmoozing, as it can be a severe put-off.

Get to know their industry and company. Keep up with your client's company as well as their industry.

Go the extra mile.

Treat every client as your most important one. Simply put, happy clients are more likely to make referrals. Provide all clients with your best service, regardless of whether they are a Fortune 500 company or a small business.

Respond promptly. When a client emails you, acknowledge the receipt of the email as quickly as possible, even if you do not have the answer they are looking for. You will give them comfort by simply acknowledging the receipt of their request and by communicating that you're on it.

Be more than an email address. Despite its prevalence in business today, email communication can often be misconstrued, especially during stressful situations and when senders and recipients do not know each other well.

Always summarize the next steps. No matter how quick or trivial a client meeting seems, always recap the conversation with the next steps. Many vendors skip this basic step.

Using the three foundations to build affinity we shared yesterday along with these seven relationship-building tips can dramatically improve the quality of the relationships you have in business and life.

Due to the importance of relationships, we spend a great deal discussing how to build them and maintain them during our Radio Sales Essentials course. Our next class is on November 16. You can sign up for the class here.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.