Relationships are of the utmost importance in nearly every facet of our lives, but especially in the business world. Our relationships are what get us through each day. In our personal lives, our friends and loved ones help us to get through hard times, they assist us in meeting our goals, and they’re there with us to celebrate our triumphs and the same can be said for our business relationships. While many people prioritize personal relationships, it’s easy to forget the importance of B2B marketing relationships.
As business owners, we strive to secure relationships to meet our goals. Without said relationships, it’s nearly impossible to survive in the competitive business world. As a business to consumer, or B2C, company, we have to forge lasting and genuine relationships with our customers, but did you know that the same is true in B2B businesses? As the purveyor of a B2B establishment, we must ensure that our connections are just as strong with those with whom we do business.
Why Relationships?
Well, we’ve already discussed that the relationships we forge in business are important, but we haven’t really gotten in the nitty gritty as to why they’re so essential. When you run a B2B business, you’ve got to think about the best way to make your connections last. Sure, you made that HUGE sale that ONE time, but you have to figure out what is going to make them come back again for other huge orders and better yet, for the more frequent smaller needs.
Certainly, your business connections are going to think of you when they know that you have a specific service that they require, but without a relationship, what’s going to keep them loyal? The short answer is, absolutely nothing. You have to count on the idea that there are different choices for the same services which you provide, and your relationships are what is going to set you apart. Most businesses frequent businesses with whom they’ve made a connection.
How do you get there?
Your first line of defense in forging business relationships is to create and maintain your social media profiles. Your channels are a great way for your target audience to connect with you and get the feeling that they’re maintaining a positive relationship with you in the process. Even if it’s something as simple as dropping a line via private message or RTing them, it gives the appearance that you’re deeply involved and you care, which you should. Remember, your business relationships are your bread and butter and without them, your “customer” base is literally nonexistent.
It’s easy to let things fall by the wayside, especially in a newer business. You’ll want to slack off in the areas that don’t seem as important, but don’t. Your social media presence needs to be incredibly consistent, as do your outreach efforts. If you’ve taken to following up with customers to see if they’re satisfied with your service, then you need to keep that up. While it certainly takes a fair amount of time to reach out to a customer, the time is invaluable, as it could lead to future sales, but also because it goes a long way to making a connection.
When you make a friend, you don’t call them and hang out with them every single day and then just avoid them for six weeks because they aren’t providing any benefit. That’s not the way it works with B2B marketing relationships either, you have to find ways to build and maintain meaningful connections with the people you meet.
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