It’s Always Personal
Every business relationship at its core is a personal relationship.
By Robert C. Kennedy
The older I become, having spent most of my career working with customers to implement WMS systems, the more I realize that my job at its core is about getting along with people.
That’s pretty much it!
When your job is to work with customers, developing a good relationship with them involves quite a bit of energy and understanding. Consider that new customers begin a project with a wariness toward you. They don’t know you, but they know you are coming into their home and disrupting the way things are. You are forcing them out of their comfort zone. You have knowledge that is fundamental to their jobs that they don’t have. I think we can all relate to similar situations.
How do you overcome that? Start by simply acting like a person, not a vendor. (It’s okay, you’re allowed.) It starts with earning trust, which comes from being honest and showing the customer that you are serious about their success. Don’t ever put yourself in a position where you are trying to defend the indefensible. It will crush the relationship.
Your customer needs to understand that YOU understand that THEIR success depends on YOU, and that you are willing to accept that responsibility.
That is what transforms a business transaction into a true partnership. In the WMS world, your customer cannot ship -- which means they cannot invoice --unless your system works. This is not just a project involving a set of nebulous software programs: it is the livelihood of you, your customer, and the people who work in that business.
This is ALWAYS true: if your business relationship is wrapped in a good personal relationship, you have a better shot at success than if it’s not. If it’s a good relationship, your customer will work with you during those difficult times when your side is struggling. If it’s not, you’re in trouble. I’ve preached this for decades: if you find yourself having to review the contract terms with your customer during a project, you’re losing.
Every project has its problems. (I survived some doozies.) That’s because every project is not just about a solid product, process, or methodology but equally or more so about people, and people can be (and will be) emotional and irrational. How do you build a good relationship? Competence counts immensely but it will not be enough. Honesty is equally important. Honesty builds trust and trust is the foundation of any human relationship.
Be respectful. Be responsive. Make a friend. Build a lasting relationship. Besides, any project will be a lot more enjoyable if both teams enjoy working together.
