My #1 Tip in Building Trusting Relationships
“The business of business is relationships; the business of life is human connection.” — Robin S. Sharma
What Lights You Up?
If you’re at a party, a business gathering, or meeting people and prospects online . . . notice how people don’t really enjoy talking about their professional life?
When people discuss their professional life, they tend to be guarded, more filtered, emphasizing accomplishments and conforming to the established corporate standards. Tis like they put on their professional superhero red cape — which may seem braggadocios as they discuss their achievements, and sticking to the office script . . . yuh know what I mean?
When my Uber drivers ask, or when people ask me at a party:
“What do you do?”
I absolutely know they are expecting to hear about my job or what I do for a living, however, I’m much more than a “title” or a “job,” and I’ve learned NOT to ATTACH to a thing, a belief, a method, a concept or a person, as:
“The Root of Suffering is Attachment”— Buddha
When asked “What do you do?” My typical response is:
“I optimize for fun, health & connections, and every day I run with my dog, Minnie.”
When we switch gears and ask people about their favourite movie, book, sports, vacation, food or what they’re thankful for — watch the magic of human connection unfold!
You’ll see the real personal and authentic side emerge.
Suddenly, it’s not about impressing the boss; it’s all heart, excitement, emotions and genuine enthusiasm which takes center stage, providing insights into their true interests, passions and motivations. It’s like you’ve ignited a spark in their soul, and now they’re lit up and fully animated, discussing what’s truly near and dear to their heart; and since you are the one lighting them up and bringing out the best side of them — an extraordinary human connection is made.
#1 Tip in Building Trusting Business Relationships
Just like building a personal relationship, the same holds true in business.
People think, “Business” is about the “Company” and the “Logo or Brand,” however, let’s remember that companies are made up of “people” who long for human connections.
If your prospect trust you, then you will earn their business.
No trust = No business
When you’re prospecting via DM (direct message), you can use a similar strategy to find out what lights up your prospect.
So far, my #1 cold DM to a new connection, is:
“SoOoo Minnie, what’s your superpower?”
Would you believe a lotta peeps respond with:
“No one has ever asked me that question.” … OR …
“I had to think about it”
Why?
Something I learned in my late teens — People LOVE to talk about themselves and their passions, coz they’re the centre of their universe, and the people in their lives don’t take the time to ask, “what lights you up?”
Therefore, when making a business or personal connection, put the focus on “THEM” and watch a beautiful, trusting relationship unfold right before your eyes — this is life — this is how business relationships should be built, by being genuinely interested in the other person, then you can evaluate if your product or service can help them — if not, well, you’ve made a friend and perhaps their friends can benefit from your business??
“When sending a cold DM, ask a question which viscerally resonates with you.”
Here are 3 of my favourite Business Relationships Quotes:
“Saying hello doesn’t have an ROI. It’s about building relationships.”
— Gary Vaynerchuck“You don’t close a sale; you open a relationship.”
— Patricia Fripp“Technology does not run an enterprise, relationships do.”
— Patricia Fripp
If, on the other hand, you don’t care to make a relationship, then continue to send cold DMs about your business, that’s right, continue to slide into people’s DMs with, “My company does …. and let’s setup a discovery call,” coz selling is numbers game and over time, it adds up!
In Summary:
“The business of business is relationships; the business of life is human connection.” — Robin S. Sharma
When meeting people for the first time, be it business or personal, realize that people tend to be more guarded when discussing their professional life. To foster deeper connections, swing the conversation toward broader topics where they feel liberated to share their likes, preferences, and personal passions. This shift reveals what genuinely lights them up, which will invariably lead to building more trusting and authentic relationships.
. . . Cheers, Z’da
✧ Full Stack Digital Marketing Services
✧ Business Mindset Coach . Author
✧Helping Entrepreneurs Build $6–7 Figure Online Businesses using ChatGPT & AI Tools
