Building Relationships: Professional and Personal

by Rico on February 6th, 2007

What? The Super Bowl (oops!) is over? Okay…

Nothing against American Football, but I’m no hardcore fan. I do enjoy the strategic and tactical complexities of the plays. And seeing eleven people helping the team by fulfilling their specialized roles. But I really don’t take the time to sit down and watch all four quarters (as shown over here by Solar Sports). So why is it relatively important that I know the Indianapolis Colts won the 41st NFL Championship?

Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than ever to work for someone on the other side of the world. But being a faceless contact on the IM window presents a challenge. And so does being an electrically transmitted voice.

An important part of building a business relationship is building a personal one. Which is a little harder when not done face-to-face. You can of course deal with your client in a completely professional manner, but I believe you lose a lot by doing so.

It’s easier for an online client to trust you, when he feels like he’s dealing with a human being—not a robot spewing practiced salutations. Making your service personal leaves your client the impression that his project is important to you. Not one of the money-making ventures you have to get over with. This makes misunderstandings easier to resolve if and when they happen, since you’re both operating on a foundation of trust.

So what does the Super Bowl have to do with this? If within the next week I find myself working for a US client, I’ll probably ask what he thought of the game. It will serve as an ice-breaker of sorts, and get both of us talking. If it turns out he doesn’t like American football, I’ll find something else.

Dealing with people over the Internet involves finding common ground. But not only in the business sense.

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