I had the wonderful opportunity to lead a webinar: "Building Healthy Business relationships", for WeConnect International Academy

1. 1
May 2016
Building Healthy
Business
relationships
Laurence A. Mittelbronn
Managing partner @ Procurly

2. 2
Thank you very much for taking the time today.
I am Laurence Anne Mittelbronn, I am a Strategic
procurement specialist (as well as many over things),
with an International and multi-National experience -
have worked for Global International Groups such as
Sodexo, and Accor Hotels.
I am delighted to be given the opportunity to talk with
You today about: Building Healthy Business
relationships, to which I would add: long lasting.
As touched in the webinar on April 15th “Doing
Business with Corporations”: “people do business
with people they know…”
“Success in business does not depend on what you say,
what you hear, what you feel, what you see.”
It depends on what you do.”
I once heard: “You don’t know who they know
until you know!” and I completely stand by that.

3. How to Start, How to Build, How to Maintain
Healthy Business relationships
3
One
The requirements for a healthy relationship in
business are very similar to a personal partnership
or friendship. Communication is key! I believe
that Authenticity and Acceptance are also
important.
CORPORATION
Four
Be aware of Who is the Client.
Getting to know your target audience / niche
market and the people that work with you & for you
is the key to being a good entrepreneur. You want
to get to know one another better and through that
build relationship.
Two
Communication is an essential aspect of everyday
life - we never stop communicating. This is
especially true when it comes to business
relationships and how we communicate with our
clients.
Five
One major problem is that owners of many
businesses whether small or big, especially if they
are struggling, have a problem in identifying their
audience.Three
There will always be rough edges, problems to
solve and difficult situations to deal with. Keeping
everyone satisfied at all times is not always
possible in our less-then-perfect business world.
Therefore, build a solid reputation and business
relationships with the people you do business with.
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
PROCUREMENT FINANCE MARKETING
SALES
Who is my Target audience ?

4. 4
Know your customers well
It will ultimately help your business
grow from strength to strength.
The most valuable asset your
business has, is the customers and
they are the ones who will point your
business in the right direction. It’s that
simple!
Your focus on being specific will enable
you to set your personal and business
targets, and will be much benefitting to
how you achieve your end goals.
• You have to give people the feeling
and experience that they are
looking for, when entering into being
a customer of your business. Thus,
give them a great experience, offer a
personalized service, be
knowledgeable.
• Give More than You receive:
Clients really appreciate when they
realize that you are looking out for
Do your home work
“The most important thing in
communication is hearing what isn’t
said.”- Peter Drucker
Take the time to learn how the targeted
client is set-up / their way of working
etc., as well as how co-workers on their
teams prefer to be communicated and
interacted with.
Do not expect to
communicate similarly with
everyone
"To effectively communicate, we
must realize that we are all different
in the way we perceive the world and
use this understanding as a guide to
our communication with others."–
Tony Robbins
How to Start, How to Build, How to Maintain
Healthy Business relationships

5. TIPS
5
Live Up to Them - perhaps the most effective way to consistently satisfy anyone you’re doing
business with. After all, this is the main reason why they’re dealing with you – you have
something to offer that they want, or vice versa. If you fail to provide that certain thing, that
they’re after,, then what other reason do they have to continue working with you?
As part of maintaining healthy business relationships, it is imperative to provide realistic
expectations of what it is you’re offering and then live up to those expectations regularly.
Under promise and Over deliver - You’ve probably heard this one before…
Under promising and over delivering means promising the bare minimum that you’ll be able to
deliver (while still satisfying and accommodating the need and preferences of the client) and then
delivering the optimal maximum, as often as possible.
We all know with our own suppliers how much better it is to have them exceed our expectations.
1
Listen and Be Attentive
2
Set Clear Expectations
How to make a great 1st impression ?
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than
you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”– Dale Carnegie
Most clients hate when you have to ask them the same thing more than once.
Keep in mind that listening and understanding is a crucial point when strengthening business
relationships.
"Many relationship problems are rooted in a communication breakdown. These can be as
simple as not really hearing what the other person is saying, because we get caught up in our own
fixed perspectives."- Sumesh Nair
Listen more than you Talk - taking the time, listening to them and really understanding where
your clients are coming from will set you apart.

6. 6
Provide Notification of Delays - if it doesn’t appear likely that you’ll be on time, provide
notification as soon as possible so that the appropriate arrangements can be made - most
clients and suppliers are much more satisfied when you notify them of any delays.
Encourage Honest Feedback - An open, honest relationship demands clear communications of
how each party are performing. Encourage constructive criticism and be brave enough to
suggest ways clients can help you perform better: if you know where you stand, you can stand
stronger.
The first step in creating and fostering healthy business relationships is establishing reliable
communication on a regular basis.
Surveys have shown that prompt and effective communication is one of the most influential and
appealing attributes a company can have.
Keep in touch with customers, quickly respond to any enquiries. Even if you’re unable to fulfill
your agreement with them at the moment you need to provide a response and keep them
informed.
Make a Routine - ensure that not too much time passes before you connect with your
contacts. With the proliferation of social media tools, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, it is
never been easier to keep in touch.
Be Proactive - using knowledge of your relationships and network, forward articles, links and
other information that might be of interest.
Make it Personal - sometimes it is good to send an actual physical letter or card of appreciation,
as opposed to an e-mail.
Meet Face-to-Face - invite your contacts to an event, that you would both enjoy. You will naturally
deepen the relationship and get to know each other better (sporting, music, etc.)
3
Stay in Contact
4
Don’t Be Afraid to…
TIPS (Contd.)

7. 7
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference” - Winston Churchill
A positive attitude is contagious and inspiring to work alongside.
Does ‘What goes around, comes around’ really work? I think it does - To be a successful business
person you need to be a nice person, simple!
What you do for your customers and clients will go a long way in building good relations.
Likewise, there can only be one positive outcome and that is a thriving business – every action has
a reaction, if it’s managed positively then the reaction is likely a positive one.
Be Honest and Courteous - this is an obvious element of all business relationships.
When you tell lies, eventually the truth will come to light and when it does client or supplier will be
much more upset - had you simply had the courtesy to tell them the truth.
If you’re working on a project that you know you won’t be able to finish, go ahead and let them
know, so they can take the necessary steps to make adjustments. Although they may not be happy
about the unexpected deviation, they will be happier than they would’ve been had they found out,
you lied to them about your situation.
Be Real - Do not be afraid to be vulnerable.
Let people see who you are, it builds trust and respect.
5
Develop a Positive Attitude
4
Don’t Be Afraid to (contd.)
TIPS (Contd.)

8. Few More Tips
8
Do not doddle, send text messages, take calls or answer emails when you’re supposed to be listening
attentively.
This will allow you to respond appropriately and avoid misunderstandings.
6
Accept Personal and Cultural differences
7
The most effective way to listen to anyone is with both your ears and your eyes
It is counterproductive to expect and hope for everyone to be like and think like you.
When you and an Client don’t see eye-to-eye, try looking at things from his or her perspective. You will
both be more productive if you recognize the need for cooperation to reach the set goals of the
team and organization.
8
Resolve Conflicts Early
When a negative situation arises, do not let it continue to boil. Be prompt, direct, honest and courteous.
Develop a plan of action to address the problem professionally with your team. Then work together
toward resolving it, positively before having to bring it to your Client or work with the Client.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -
Albert Einstein

9. TOOLS to turn a connection into a
Healthy Business relationship, a few options
“The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeable, but they signify quite different
things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through."– Sydney J. Harris
9
"The goal is to provide inspiring information that moves
people to action."- Guy Kawasaki
People always remember where you helped them out, but
never forget where you didn’t, and that can be damaging
for you in your market place inevitably.
“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the
garbage man or the president of the university.”– Albert
Einstein
“It is surprising how much you can accomplish if you don't
care who gets the credit.” - Abraham Lincoln
Share the spotlight and recognition and you will find yourself
improving the trust and appreciation level amongst the entire
team. If you want to be liked by members of your team /
client’s team, try recommending them for opportunities and
recognition first.
“In many ways, effective communication begins with
mutual respect, communication that inspires, and
encourages others to do their best.”– Zig Ziglar
Bring value into your
future relationships
1
Make them look & feel good
2
Share Opportunities and
Recognition Willingly3

10. Tools (Contd.)
10
A great way to leverage your networking effort !
One of the most popular ways to building strong business
relationships, is to get to know someone through the
‘businessman’s golf culture’. It’s no coincidence that golf has
become the ultimate activity for business people to build
stronger relationships upon - a game of golf lasts a couple of
good hours, which is a long time to spend talking to someone
on the golf course and get to know him or her.
Golf requires a different level of skills, like high level of
concentration, decision making, strategic thinking, coolness
and others that are also important in the business world. The
players ‘read’ the way the other person plays, and make their
opinion on whether they should do business together.
Think outside the box or think different, it will make the
biggest difference to your business life.
"Remember that six most expensive words in business are:
We've always done it that way." - Catherine DeVrye
Changing the way you meet with other business colleagues
can benefit you in several ways:
• Building strong business relationships and will have a
positive impact on business development plan
• Get to know one another and discover new personality traits
• Openness to the other person – Give & Take
• Creation of shared memories that bonds people better
• Awareness and memory for details in uncommon situations
Spice up your business
making routine4
Think Outside the box5

11. Tools (Contd.)
Few Guidelines to creating ‘out of the box’ business
meetings
11
Certain activities can reveal other personality traits in people
we know. These type of activities teach you a lot about the
other person and vice versa.
Building strong business relationships should be fun and
engaging for both parties involved.
Make a spontaneous decision to do something differently -
go on a field / location trip, among many other possibilities.
These type of activities can add a ‘lively’ feeling; it can also
express your creativity, intuition, personality and you will
create memories that last a long time with stronger
relationships.
In other words, in your niche market ,what more can you
give whilst making the proposition exciting? Usually, it
comes down to your experience around your business and
knowing how to personalize it to the point of being a
knowledgeable trendsetter and not just following the
trend.
Choose activities that will help
you learn about the other person1
Be Spontaneous –
the best things come out of it!2
Be Trendsetter vs.
follow the Trend3

12. 12
Marketing via the medium of networking is one sure-fine way of
creating appeal within your market. People get to know you on a
personal level and through the constant contact you will build your
visibility, credibility and profitability. The goal here is to educate
your network, so that they are armed with enough knowledge to
refer you to others within their contact sphere. This is where being
specific about your niche market and your target audience really
works.
In today’s world, we manage two parallel lives: the offline life and
the online life, the social media life. You are being represented in
both spheres and the way you are seen has a great effect on your
online reputation management, and consequently, on your business
success.
• Our business networking activity can bring us new customers, new
deals, and inside knowledge that can expose us to some really
valuable industry information.
• On the other hand, professional and positive information will
increase yours and your business’s success rates and thus,
reputation.
Your online reputation management is essential for a more
credible and legitimate appearance.
The Two fundamentals of Online Reputation Management:
Monitor & Manage.
Build credibility through
personal contact!4
Maintain a Hot Online Reputation
to Attract more Success5
Online Reputation is a
First Impression6
Few Guidelines to creating ‘out of the box’ business meetings (Contd.)

13. Tools (Contd.)
How can you know what people want?
13
1 Discovering what people want
It is about working your way to find out what their needs are.
Few useful ways that will make you a better giver:
• Simply ask what they want: just ask what their needs are and what they want. Through their
answer you will figure out how you can be of assistance to them,
• Create a new will for them: broaden your mind and think of how you can create a new will and
need for the person.
Let your mind be creative in coming up with new ideas that may benefit both of you, but more
importantly, how it could benefit them.
For example: “You sell bicycles and I am an event producer – let’s plan a bicycle riding event”.
2 Tell how you can help
Sometimes it’s hard to understand what the person wants. In this case, tell them how you can
help them and at some point roll the conversation back to what it is they need.
Be specific about your abilities to help, so the person would be able to really understand if they are
interested in your offer or not. And in this case, ask what they would want, and ‘throw the ball’ back
at them.
Business networking is all about give and take, but both parties need to know, how to give
and what to give.

14. 14
3
4
Research
A great way to know what people need and want is through research in the offline and online
world.
• Ask mutual contacts about the person, what he needs, what he loves doing, and try to get a
better understanding of him or her,
• Turn to Dear friend: Google and take a look at some search results (go past the first page and
get as much information as possible, that may help you).
Linkedin might be an obvious channel, but look deeper into groups and discussions.
Follow the person’s social media posts
Read what the person has posted on his social media profiles.
Take a good look at conversations he or she are engaged in. That may give you a good
understanding about what people want.
Tools (Contd.)
How can you know what people want?

15. 15
5 Really listen to what they say
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."
- Stephen Covey
It may seem obvious but it’s not! so many people don’t really listen as their minds wander into
other occurrences.
In business networking, make an effort in truly listening to the other person’s words, try to get into
their shoes and understand what stands behind those words. Only then, ask your guiding
questions.
6 Ask guiding questions
Try to focus on some of their words and ask guiding questions intelligently, to know more about a
particular topic.
Remember, the more personal you get, the better you understand the person and build on your
relationship foundations.
You may ask, get personal during business networking? Yes, great foundations are built through
knowing many if not every aspect of the person (their favorite restaurant is, favorite mentor or
speaker, clothing brand and so on).
Tools (Contd.)
How can you know what people want?

16. Tools
Michael Denisoff advises
16
All successful small businesses–regardless of what they do or sell–have one thing in common: their owners know how to
build and maintain relationships.
The truth is that entrepreneurs too often get caught up in the details of the kinds of products or services they are selling to
notice how critical it is to build relationships not just with your customers, but also with your vendors, employees and–
gasp–even your competitors.
Without strong relationships, it is impossible to have success as a business owner.
The reality is that business relationships are just like any other relationship. They require some effort to maintain and they
must be mutually beneficial. As in any relationship, you must be willing to give, share and support, not just take or receive.
First, he created a contact database where he not only stored information on his clients, but also with vendors and business
peers. He now uses the database to document the details of the conversations–both personal and professional–that he has
with each of his contacts. "This helps with continuity and helps me to remember key facts and information about each contact.
Secondly, Denisoff changed around his daily routine so that he now dedicates a portion of his day to doing nothing but
reaching out and maintaining his professional and personal relationships.
Be sure to contact people when you are NOT in need of something.
Source: http://michaeldenisoff.com
TAKE NOTES ! - enter these notes to be able to enter keywords and find all the people you know who match that keyword..
Doing keyword mining on your own contacts will pay dividends for years !

17. APPENDIX
This quote from Van Gogh keeps me going when I start to wonder why I wandered from the
shores of stable employment into entrepreneurship:
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible,
but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."
- Vincent Van Gogh

18. It allows you to be a messenger, share
content, form opinions, gather information,
follow trends and stay connected with like-
minded people and customers.
For small businesses, the power of
sharing information is very important.
Social media gives the opportunity to
connect and engage with clients and
potential customers through an alternative
medium. Social media is the daily human
face to your business on the internet.
1
The number one reason would be
to drive relevant business traffic to your
website.
The idea is to expose your expertise and
demonstrate what your business does, so as to
grow the confidence of your audience in what
you do and how you can help them.
By positioning yourself as an expert in your
field, your customers will grow in comfort and
form a closer relationship with you simply based
on what you’re telling them and choosing to
share with them. Your social media and blog
profile should always link back to your
website, for when a customer requires
more information.
2
How social media can help small businesses ?
What does social media enable you to do?
18
Direct traffic to your website

19. Social media will grow your business
relationship with your customers and encourage
an informal, friendly appearance towards new
potential customers.
When the knowledgeable expert approach is in use,
not only are you educating the customer, but also
offering and opportunity to interact and share your
message. If your business whether product or service
provides great value and benefit, it will be
recommended by your audience. That’s the beauty
of social media.
It makes sharing and recommending of a
business effortless and therefore, instant.
This will provide a very honest and direct source of
feedback which would have been a very
challenging task receiving in any other way.
3
Social media is an amazing tool for
listening to your customers.
Of course, you can ask an open question to your
audience and receive feedback, but what about
feedback on questions you never thought of asking or
didn’t expect an answer from? Monitor your social
media and listen out for what people are saying on
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and any other social
media including one of the most important, your
blog. Will provide a very honest and direct source of
feedback which would have been a very challenging
task receiving in any other way. Listen to the
feedback and respond to the feedback where
applicable. Be ethical and provide a response worthy
of re-engagement. If through this feedback you make
some changes to your business, re-inform
the audience by sending out a
message with some expert advice.
4
19
Relationships and Recommendations
Instant feedback, instantly

20. There is no harm in announcing news and
special offers from time to time - will generate
a lot of excitement and drive traffic to the relevant
areas. Articles and videos on ‘how to’ and other
promotional videos are also fantastic tools to help your
customers. They can be packed with tips which would
even encourage the casually browsing audience to dig
deeper in order to find more information. Videos have
established their place on the internet and have
started to project the medium of choice when
illustrating products and services. As it is social media
we’re talking about, remember. . . don’t over sell, in
fact don’t sell at all.
Social media is a two way process, it’s about
interacting, engaging and of course informing.
Informing and expressing your expert
knowledge is the substance
that will help sell itself.
5
Whether it’s display advertising or sponsored
advertising, it is a fast forward way of getting your
business noticed. For many small businesses
these are the best places to advertise for social
profiles can be drilled down to geographical and/or
demographical possibilities which are highly
effective for targeted advertising. The other great
benefit is that most advertising on social media
channels are based on ‘pay per click’ or
impressions - not only does it give you the
opportunity to target a specific audience but also, to
control creativity and specify budgets.
6
20
Promotions and Broadcasting
Display or Sponsored Advertising

21. 21
Social media is probably one of the best
communication, marketing and strategic tools for
any business. Especially effective for smaller
businesses as the initial outlay and general
overheads are quite low.
The benefit of using social media definitely overrides
any objections.
Sign up and start engaging with your customers.

22. 10 Ways To Extend Your Network
& Attract More Opportunities
22
There is one answer that can lead you to anywhere you want to go: Create New Opportunities!
& Networking is key to new opportunities …every person we meet, every new situation we are in, can potentially unlock
new opportunities !
To create more opportunities one needs to extend his network and get to know more people – this is a proven fact by
academic researches.
There are many ways to met new people, and here are effective ideas you can start implementing today:
1. Start a new hobby
2. Study something new
3. Join a professional industry organization
4. Reconnect with old friends & good contacts - make a list of people you would like to get back in touch with and set a
meeting.
5. Have a Linkedin Group - comment regularly and manage that group. That will position you as a know how in the
chosen topic and will attract new people to you.
6. Join a “targeted” networking group - help to get referrals and new clients. These groups help to build strong
relationships, sharpen networking and self-presentation skills, and get more clients.
7. Attend networking events - as well as professional conferences, or exhibition, chamber of commerce events and the like
8. Volunteer
9. Contribute to your community …sometimes great opportunities are just too close for us to notice them…
10. Organize an event - professional or targeted to your group of friends. Make sure the people you invite will bring their
colleagues or friends along - this is a great way to get to extend your network.