We talk a lot about meeting new people and making new connections when it comes to business relationships. But what about nurturing those connections? As an entrepreneur, it’s critical that relationships become the center of your business. Your affiliation is EVERYTHING!
Let’s cultivate strong, healthy business relationships with five tips to get you started. An added bonus: This advice is sure to help you nurture your personal relationships as well!
Five Ways to Nurture Personal and Business Relationships
1. Be authentic.
This goes without saying but BE YOURSELF! Being authentic allows you to make new connections with the right people and helps deepen the relationships you have. What a perfect way to cultivate authentic relationships, whether professional or personal.
- Embrace your personal growth journey: “Being yourself” can change! As you grow as a person, your dreams, goals, and values change with you. Embrace your personal growth journey and find (and be) yourself along the way.
- Know your core values: Growing as a person inevitably brings your core life values to the surface. Be confident in your values and stay true to them.
- Share your story: Your story can and will change lives if you’re brave enough to share it. This is your most authentic form of self … so put it out into the world!
2. Provide value.
Be a resource for others and strive to add value to those around you! This can be done in both tangible and intangible ways. Try these ideas:
- Suggest helpful resources: Did you find an encouraging or insightful blog article, book, or podcast episode? Share it with someone!
- Celebrate everyone’s wins: Don’t hold onto a competitive spirit with those around you. Instead, encourage one another and be genuinely happy for big and small wins!
- Be a connector: People are resources, too! Help make connections among like-minded people. Make an introduction and watch new relationships grow and thrive all around you! Networking at its finest!
3. Ask for advice or input.
Just as you want to be a helpful resource for others, they want to do the same for you (it’s called the rule of reciprocity!). So, ask for advice or input when you need it! It’s in our nature to want to help each other out. We were built for connection, so the more you work together, the stronger the bonds become.
4. Be a person of your word.
Trustworthiness is the cornerstone of building and nurturing key relationships in your life. Be a person of your word. Do what you say you’re going to do, and you’ll notice the connections that you’ve built with others grow stronger. When you follow through, not only will your relationships thrive, but you’ll find that your business will follow suit!
Check out this article to discover more ways to build trust!
5. Schedule time for your personal and business relationships.
Lastly, we need to get organized. Just because you know it’s important to nurture your personal and business relationships doesn’t mean you’ll naturally make time for it. In the same way that it takes effort and planning to follow through on something as important as working out, you’ll need to schedule it in!
So, whether it’s planning a date with your spouse or meeting a friend at a coffee shop, leave space in your calendar to plan on it!
Everyone wins!
When your personal and business relationships are put at the forefront of your life, everyone wins! People are, after all, what this life is all about. Focus on connection, and watch as everything else falls into place.
