We live in a fast-paced world and missing opportunities is bad for your and your business alike. This is why building solid relationships with other companies or people, who can help your business, is key. Building up your reputation as a company, a manager or even an employee should be top priority to you. And how do you actually build reputation? This seems to be the question most people ask themselves.
The truth is reputation costs money, both for you and for your clients. Reputation is the reason why big brand can sell their products for a higher price than it actually costs. They sell the brand, they put their name behind it saying “We believe this product is of high quality, it will serve you well and we will take care if it doesn’t”. Some people call paying premium for such products the “peace-of-mind tax”. And it definitely is, because one is surely more likely to trust a reputable service provider, than one with bad Yelp reviews, for example.
But we aren’t talking about business-to-client reputation here, are we? No, business-to-business reputation is sometimes even harder to achieve. See, much of what you do can go unnoticed, no matter how good it is, but make a single mistake and everyone will know. It is kind of sad that you have to go out of your way to actually boost the way your company is perceived.
So let’s say you have a new business client or a potential business partner coming to meet you. You have to win them over, right? But how do you do that? As we’ve already said, your mistakes will cost you a lot, so try your best to avoid them. Psychologists say that first impressions are the most important part of meeting a new person. They say that if you mess up on your first meeting, it takes up to 2 months to negate such an outcome. Now you understand how important it is treat your business guest perfectly.
One thing that business tend to do, and it seems very efficient is to hire professional transportation for their guests. My company bets on Chicago limousine service all the time. I am sure that when you read professional transportation, you immediately thought “Of course!”, right? Because it really is obvious, but is a nice gesture nonetheless.
You do have to coordinate with your guest. Offer to find the best hotel for him and guarantee for it. After all, if he or she’s out of town and is not familiar with the city you live in, reviews online are not always the best things to go by. So there is where you step in.
Taking care of your guest is sure to boost your business-to-business reputation. Being nice, doesn’t mean bending over, although many people think it does. It just proves that you represent a business that cares for people and is not only after money. With these tips in mind you will surely be on your way to sealing that deal.