Just like in the real world, in the virtual world business-to-business relationships are handled a little differently than business-to-consumer relationships. These are some things to keep in the back of your mind when developing business relationships. After all, no one likes to golf or go to lunch by themselves.
Business Intelligence
With the rising popularity of social media sites, it has become a lot easier to share information. Companies are able to gain access to information about the demographics of their customers, affiliated industries, emerging topics, key trends, competitor activities, and opinions of others.
Business Development
Money talks. When it boils down to it, your company is either in the red or the black, so which would you rather be in? Use any and all tools that make it easier to find business leads from new clients or previously existing ones. Through the use of social networks it is easier to search for prospects, learn about companies, or possible collaborators. According to the Social Media Examiner, 56% of B2B marketers gain new business partnerships through social media sites.
Business Relationships
When a relationship is formed, it takes time and effort to maintain. Given all the available forms of communication and living in the past pace world we do today, it’s not always a feasible option to meet with people in person. Through social platforms it is easy to connect to anyone in the world at any time of day. Social sites are there in order to share content easily between friends, use this to your advantage when starting to develop a new relationship.
Business Conversations
Use social media platforms to talk about what is going on in the industry, share ideas, and gain new clients. Common areas of interest will turn casual conversations into life long relationships. The main ingredient in a functional business-to-business relationship is that each party needs to find value in the relationship.
Keep all of these things in mind when attending that next networking event. Another trick is after exchanging business cards, write a few facts you learned about that person shortly after so you will know what to talk about during your next encounter with them.