The Human Side of Business

Your marketing strategy is solid. You have brainstormed, developed, and deliberated. The numbers have been crunched and the market has been evaluated. Have you done your job? Yes, you may have done it very well.

The industry seems to forget that people are not figures on a chart. They are individuals, and each and every one of them is different, with varying priorities and interests. Relationships with people are the core of any successful business.

The Human Side of Business

It should not come as a surprise that people are at the center of this philosophy. That is, considering people as humans rather than as “assets” or part of a demographic. Clients want to feel valued. Every touch with a client, whether email or in person, should convey respect and trust. This also means recognizing that professional and personal lives are sometimes intertwined. Adapt to the client and their communication style. Words that are appropriate for conversation with one client may come across as far too stiff with another.You do not need to change the way that you do business. Simply adapt your language to fit the situation and the individual. You probably already do this on a daily basis without even realizing it.

Business is ultimately person to person. A business itself cannot communicate or perform any action because is an inanimate object. You are the hands and feet of your company.

Finding common interests will help to build that connection with your client. People are much more comfortable when they are with someone that they feel is similar to them. The human side of business is often discussed in terms of company culture and how an employer treats his employees. Successful, happy employees lead to a profitable company. The same theory can be applied to client relations. For small businesses especially, clients who have been with them since the birth of the company have probably become quite part of who they are and what they do. Happy clients profitable business? It does not take a stretch of the imagination to picture.