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HR: Dos & Don’ts of Client Relationships
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Dos & Don'ts of Client Relationships

By Meilin Fan


BT 201607 130 01 HR Email Marketing Dos and Donts Cover ImageIt is a fact especially important in China, that 'people do business with people they like'. In other words, relationships matter. But what does this mean? People talk a lot about 'Guanxi' and personal connections in China, but we sometimes fail to understand what, specifically, this means.


If there is an awkward silence that suddenly appears when talking to your clients, you should understand that there are ways to avoid this and to help build closer rapport even when you have known your clients for centuries!


Relationships matter in every industry, especially those interacting with customers or clients directly. In a recent company training session, RMG colleagues discussed the 'dos' and 'don'ts' of establishing good relationships. Here are some points of the discussion and conclusions -


Based on years of HR experience, every employee gave their suggestions from the first contact to maintaining a long-term relationship.


DOs


BT 201607 130 02 HR business meeting1.Communicate in a timely and effective manner with clients and candidates and business contacts to keep up-to-date with latest news, give appreciation when appropriate, especially where people have been helpful towards you.
(关心客户及候选人动态,适当赞扬)


2.Keep long-term contact. No one likes to be forgotten and we tend to like more the people we interact with more. Call your clients, call your contacts. Business is a 'contact sport'!
(保持长期联系)


3.Provide help and advice as much you can, this helps build trust between each other. This concept is known as reciprocity. i.e. if I do something nice for you, you will do something nice for me. Note that this does not mean that we just base our relationships on favours, but it does mean that being helpful to others helps bring a smoother contact - imagine you are in your car and you let someone cross the road - perhaps they will then do something nice for someone else - it is the same concept.
(尽可能多的提供帮助建议,建立相互信任)


4.Do what you say. This is vital. If you don't do what you say you will do, it does not matter how clever, or how much market knowledge, or how good at selling you are, no-one will trust you.
(说到做到)


5.Think in client's (or the other person)'s position. This is called empathizing, or putting yourself in 'someone else's shoes' - and is a great way to stop and understand different people's priorities.
(换位思考)


6.Being a good listener. The simple fact is that most people are not good at listening, especially those people who tell you that they are! Listening is an active process. Our tip is that once you have listened carefully, paraphrase what someone has said to you (repeat what they have said using different words) to check if you have really understood or not.
(学会倾听)

hr hl017.Expand business relationships to friendship. Remember that all friendships start from somewhere. One of the great things about a 'people' business is that it has the possibility for lots of friendships. Remember that every contact or interaction you may have with anyone, may flower a lifelong bond - and for business, it is only helpful to get on well with people we do business with.
(将工作关系转换成朋友关系)


8.Be careful with your diction no matter whether you are calling or writing e-mails. Details matter, people observe the style of writing and presentation. Would you be comfortable getting on a plane with damaged seats, dirty toilets and old equipment? Probably not. The same concept applies with relationships.
(注意说话的方式以及邮件的措辞)


Here are a collection of things that you should not do when building relationships with people. Even though it is more useful to think in terms of positive actions, we thought these points would still be useful to remember:


DON'Ts


BT 201607 130 03 HR A good Listener1.Never leave problems to your clients to solve alone. Be a business partner. Help them with difficult things as well as those that seem easy.
(别把问题留给客户独自解决, 保持积极主动)


2.Don't overpromise. It is too easy to do so in business, but will make your life difficult later. Be honest and realistic about what you can deliver.
(不说不确定的话,不做不确定的事)


3.Do not be emotional with your clients. Be calm and mature: this representation of you will help you as well as them. No one wants an emotional rollercoaster to solve their problems for them.
(对待客户不要情绪化)


4.Do not bite the hand that feeds you. Always remember that if you are asking someone for money - do it nicely!
(不要忘恩负义)


5.Do not show your impatience when talking with your clients. Your wandering eyes, rapping fingers can easily imply that your thoughts fly to a party after work. And this is definitely disrespect to your clients.
(不要展示你的不耐烦)


6.Do not interrupt when your clients are talking. This does not mean that there is no interaction between you and your client, but it is better that your doubt or opinions are given after your client has finished his sentences. Again, put yourself in other's shoes, you will feel quite upset if somebody interrupts while you might be speaking because your idea is not fully expressed and do not know where to continue. Interruption will leave your clients an unprofessional impression and they may label you as a rude person.
(不要打断别人说话)


7.Do not judge your clients with your own value, no matter in front of or behind them. Being judgmental will never bring you any benefits if you are not a critic.
(不要以己度人)


8.Do not say 'No' immediately when you disagree with your clients. Transfer 'No' into less aggressive words like 'Will it be better that…' In other words, be euphemistic, this is significant in Confucian cultures.
(不要否定,哪怕否定,应以合适的措辞提出.)


These suggestions can be helpful when dealing with clients, yet there is an increasing need to be considered. What kind of relationship can be regarded as appropriate and when can you move forward from business contacts to loyal partnership and finally to reliance and even friendship?When the last shot is done, the complex Chinese network “Guanxi” is established.


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