Building B2B Relationships can be hard; especially when you’re new to the company you’re working for. Not only are you trying to stay friendly with your co-workers, but dealing with potential customers and suppliers can be just as complicated. To follow are some quick ideas to keep things friendly.

  1. Keep Notes. When you’re first starting out it can be hard to keep track of the people you deal with on a day to day basis, and nothing is more embarrassing than forgetting someone’s name. To keep yourself on track, keep a record of the people you deal with. The best way is to keep a brief company profile, and include in it information about each employee you’re dealing with. Brian works at Company A, and his hobbies include fishing, biking, and camping. Not only will this keep you on track, it will give you something to talk about to keep things friendly! If you’re really forgetful, or deal with numerous people from a company, include physical descriptions of the people you’ve met.
  2. Be interested in their business. A big part of understanding your business is understanding your client’s business. Without the grasping your client’s business, you won’t know what you have to offer them!
  3. Stay in Contact. It’s important to keep in touch with everyone you deal with. Whether it is simply answering e-mails or phone calls, be sure to keep on top of your communication!
  4. Pay Attention. Keep track of what’s going on with your customers, and you’ll find they appreciate your opinion and thoughts much more. It’s important to keep track of progress your customers are making with their business, and well as anything exciting that’s going on with them at home. This is key in keeping a business relationship strong.
  5. Keep it upbeat. No matter what you’re dealing with at home, you shouldn’t be spreading gloom and doom to your customers. Everybody has issues, and dealing with someone who can’t keep their emotions in check can be discouraging. Do you really want someone keeping your books when they can’t seem to keep track of themselves?
  6. NEVER Criticize. No matter what’s going on with your clients, you should not be gossiping about it to other clients. Gossip can spread literally in seconds, and it really benefits no one. The detriment that gossip causes will not only affect the person you talked about, but also the person you said it to!
  7. Be honest. Honesty is a major factor in any relationship, and lying always ends up coming out somehow later on. Being honest with your client not only shows your integrity, it also shows that you value this client as a person, and aren’t only thinking about the sell. It’s people that show their integrity first that I would rather deal with than someone trying to pull the wool over my eyes.
  8. Follow Up. Few people realize the importance of a follow up call or e-mail. Something so simple can have a major effect on the outcome of a B2B relationship. Follow up contact shows that you are still there to support the client after making a sale.
  9. Stay on top of networking. Believe it or not, staying active in the social community is an important part of staying active in the business world. Networking meetings, seminars, and other group sessions are a good way to meet new people, and reconnect with other people. If social events aren’t quite your thing, another good way to stay involved is to remain active in the virtual networking world. Websites like LinkedIn can keep coworkers, suppliers and customers all in contact, without as much face to face time as attending social events.
  10. Offer Networking Help. If you find a client looking for specific assistance with something, considering if you have a client in that field. Connecting your clients can show your dedication to your employees, because not only are you solving a problem, you’re creating more work for your other client, benefiting everyone in the end.