Know Them, Trust Them. . . Earn Thier Respect
Many of our readers have heard the phrase “Know, Like & Trust”, commonly credited to Bob Burg, in his book “Endless Referrals”. Bob explains how people decide in three seconds whether they know, like, or trust you. Establishing trust and likeability right off the bat is the cornerstone to building business relationships, whether you’re interacting with a client, customer, team member, or boss. What if liking people isn’t necessarily required? Perhaps we put too much stock in personality or “likeability”? All of us have met the “actor” in business. You know, the person who talks the talk but doesn’t back it up with action. Maybe it’s time to update Mr. Burg’s quote to Know, Trust, and Respect.
If I Don’t Like Them, How Can I Trust Them?
Going back to the “likeability” factor can shed light on why that can be a flawed premise. It is actually easy to be a nice person but be totally incompetent in the business world. In business, there are times when you must draw a hard line. You will have to make difficult decisions that will negatively affect your employees, your customers or your suppliers. How much more difficult to do so when those people are also your friends? Putting emotional distance between you and them will inevitably lower your Likeability factor. Maybe paying more attention to what people do instead of what they say can make Respecting someone more important than Liking them?
It’s easy to do what will make people happy and convince them to like you. It is far more difficult to consistently make decisions based on facts and reasoning, rather than emotions. Facts and Reasoning are cornerstones to any successful business. [tweet_box design=”default” float=”right” width=”40%”]Three basic questions or variations of them can be the difference between a successful professional relationship and a business disaster.[/tweet_box]
Know The Person, Trust The Word, Respect The Work
Knowing someone by having met and spent time with them is the first step in any relationship, personal or business. This can also come from a referral by a trusted associate. Once that cornerstone is established, you can put in the time to determine if the words they speak align with your ideas and standards. With that base established in your relationship, you must determine if you can Respect them & what they represent and therefore do business with them. We suggest asking yourself these questions:
- Do I know anyone who has experience in business with this person?
- Did that reference actually conclude a business transaction with your new acquaintance?
- Would they do business with them again?
You can likely come up with your own list of questions or concerns. These three basic questions or variations of them can be the difference between a successful professional relationship and a business disaster. Answering them can quickly establish Knowing and Trusting. This can put you in a position to test this new business opportunity and if successful, lead to Respecting them and what they do.
The Beacon Center Follows Know, Trust & Respect
Here at The Beacon Center, we take the time to KNOW what your needs are and how to fill them. We TRUST you to Make Our Space Your Space and we RESPECT everyone’s needs and desires. Our uplifting and professional space is perfect for meetings with clients, giving presentations, conducting training seminars, or hosting mixers. Our space can even be used to celebrate birthday parties, baby showers, wedding anniversaries and more – the options to transform our space are almost limitless. Please visit our website and take a virtual tour. We can’t wait to get to know new friends who can trust us to respect them and offer everyone a great deal.
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