In business, it's easy to burn bridges with people. By
"burning bridges" I mean, destroy relationships with your
customers, clients, employees, vendors, etc.
It's one of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make. And
quite frankly, it's a stupid mistake. It's so stupid, I'm
willing to admit I was the reigning champ of burning
bridges with my clients and friends...and it cost me dearly.
There was a time in my life when:
I wouldn't return phone calls
I wouldn't follow-up with a referral from a client
I'd miss an appointment and not call to apologize
I wouldn't pay my vendors on time
I'd squable over a few dollars, or
I'd act apathetic from a good deed from another
Isn't that stupid? Of course it is. And, I'm not-so-happy
to say that I am NOT the only person who does this. Many
of my own clients don't even realize how damaging it is
to their own business, their reputations, and their
credibility.
I AM happy to say, however, that I've mended my ways. The
primary reason I got my act together was because a teacher
of mine gave me a proverbial 'slap-in-the-face' and said,
"your business is about relationships and you are detroying
all of them."
I really took that to heart. I do understand that it's
important to cultivate, maintain and nurture relationships
with the people we do business with - not to burn bridges.
My business (marketing coaching) relies completely on my
reputation, credibility, and the rapport I build and keep
with my clients. If I burn bridges with my clients, I burn
a little bit of myself along the way.
Positive relationships are the key to success in business.
What if we've already burned bridges with the people we've
done business with in the past? Is it too late to make
peace?
Or, how do we prevent burning bridges with the people we're
doing business with now? Below are a few strategies that I
use to prevent burning bridges and to nurture positive
relationships with my clients:
Always treat your customers like dear and valued friends.
Do the nice things for them that you'd do for your best
friend or a family member.
If your customer has a problem, rectify it as soon as
possible. Communicate with them always. Let them know
exactly how you intend to handle the problem, and when
you'll be in contact with them next.
Always try to conduct yourself nobly and professionally
in the end, as well as in the beginning of a relationship
with your customer.
If the business/customer relationship doesn't work out,
attempt to salvage whatever good and goodwill are still
left in the relationship. Just because it didn't work out
with them, doesn't mean they wouldn't refer others to you...
as long as you treat them with respect.
Despite any differences of opinion, work hard to be honest
and positive. Always be noble, respectful and genuine.
The message is simple: People understand that things go wrong.
They understand that you forget. They understand that you get
busy. They understand that you and your product or service may
be imperfect. All they want is to feel like you respect them,
you care about them, and that you'll do whatever it takes to
help them.
If you've burned bridges in the past, it's not too late to
start re-building them now. Positive relationships are the
key to success in business, and it starts with YOU, now.
About the Author
Craig Valine is the publisher of
The AwfulMarketing Alert Newsletter, "Where you learn
GOOD marketing strategies by looking at the mistakes of others"
To subscribe his free newsletter, go to:
http://awfulmarketing.com/ezinesubscribe.htm