by Chris Bennett
Perhaps the best way to make a business connection that can develop into a beneficial relationship is to ‘get personal’.
Getting personal in this context means finding out what you have in common, apart from business, with the person to whom you're talking. This common personal interest can form the basis of an effective business relationship.
How can you do this?
Listen
Listen for the opportunity to identify a common interest. You can do this by paying attention to what the other person is saying, and not focusing on what you are about to say. You also need to refrain from interrupting, which can be achieved by watching and listening for cues that the speaker has finished what he or she has to say.
Share
Share your experience with the other person without dominating the conversation. It can be easy to let your shared passion run free, where you end up doing most of the talking so the listener may either switch off or walk away. A simple guideline is to let the other person do more of the talking than you do.
Encourage
Encourage the person to share his or her experiences. You can do this by asking open or closed questions, nodding your head in agreement and keeping an open body posture that is welcoming and not closed off.
If you 'get personal' you will form a positive business relationship and eventually get more business.
