subject: Build Profitable Business Relationships By Building Ark (act Random Kindness) [print this page] There is a lot to be said for making a first impression. You never get another chance at it, and it will always make the people that you meet think of you in a certain light. While you can do a lot to improve that initial perception of who you are and what you are about, you may have noticed that there is a lot of maintenance involved in keeping that image stable. Those who act generous initially, only to later "drop the act," are soon discovered to be disingenuous and difficult to trust. If you want to really build business relationships that last, you need to sustain them through hard work, the right networking, and the occasional random act of kindness.
A Good Samaritan
A random act of kindness is not always necessarily random, but it is always a favor that is never asked for. If you see someone in your team who is having difficulty, then putting in a bit of extra work to help them get back up to speed is exactly the type of random act of kindness you should be looking to perform. Not only will it help them, but it can help you in the future by having a motivated team member that is on point.
Picking Up the Bill
No one is made of money, and if you paid for everything out of pocket, you certainly would not be either. You should not be afraid, however, to spend when it is generous to do so. Paying for business lunches for small groups, or with a client is one way to do this. While it is at your discretion, you do not necessarily have to make an excessive habit of it - these are business relationships, not charitable causes. Instead, choose to show class and generosity in one stroke with your business expenditures. Spend generously on office gifts, but keep all of your business gifts in proper proportion. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, having a "gift" or "generosity" budget of allowable kindness expenditures can really let you contribute to your business relationships.
Honesty is the Best Gift of All
Sometimes, an honest word can mean more to a client than any gift or luxury meal. If you just speak to someone as if they were a human being, and tell them the gravity of the situation, they might look to you as a true friend. The amount of respect that you can earn through this random act of kindness can go a long way, especially if the information that you pass on happens to save someone a lot of time and money.
