When it comes to relationships in business, there are two camps of people: the folks who say it’s all about the relationships and then those who are all about the strategy, funnels and pulling every psychological tactic in their selling to get you to buy.
But just like life, business is all about the nuances. Unfortunately, that’s not sexy or fun to write about or do videos so people lean into an either or view.
Business is in all the nuances starting with ourselves because our businesses are a reflection of who we are especially if we provide services. We’ve found a way that works and it’s been successful for us so we want to teach it and provide a product we can sell to others.
For 25 years, as an entrepreneur, providing services for clients, gives me an unique perspective on both sides of the aisle. I always land in the camp of the more pure business aspects people lean into, think AI, the more we need to lean in the business of relationships. They need to walk, talk and interweave with each other every single day.
Why?
All those funnels, strategies, numbers, AI, technology…..are all driven and created by human beings. Those human beings have their biases, bad days, opinions, perspectives and motivations. When people say they are neutral…..I laugh. It’s not possible.
Every single one of us is relational. That makes us all about the relationships in business even if we don’t believe it is.
One of my clients has a platform driven solely by AI. It’s an amazing delivery system. Their clients never have to interface with a human.
Technically, it was working well but their customer service feedback increased. Once they realized there had to be human contact somewhere, their profits increased by over 30%. It proved the point that the more technology you base your business on the more you must also increase your human connection within the business and with clients and customers.
Business happens in all the nuances of the strategy and technology and with the humans involved.
There’s no one answer that fits all as we move forward in the ever-changing world of business. Those nuances especially with teams and clients is embedded in the relationships and sits alongside the business tactics.