As much as we like to think that the personal and business world are separate - I’ve come to learn in the last 10 years that they in fact really aren’t.
The fundamentals of building a relationship with another human being in the business context is not that far removed from the fundamentals in our personal world.
We as individuals get so caught up in our own worlds that we don’t communicate often enough with those in our business ecosystems. I’m speaking generally of course because there are examples of individuals who do this brilliantly.
Business is personal because at the heart of it, we do business with people, not with organisations - and people like doing business with those who believe have their best interests at heart.
We like to do business with those individuals who find the right balance between give and take.
We would far rather do business with those who understand us as individuals beyond just the reason for the business transaction.
We do business with people that are there for more than just the profit because we all want to be part of something greater than ourselves.
When we fail to communicate, the other party can only assume that there are more important fish in the sea and that is when business relationships start to fray.
I’ve learnt never to underestimate a message or call without any specific agenda behind it but just to show the other person that they are front and centre.
Doing business personally takes a lot more effort and consciousness than the transactional alternative - which is why very few take this approach. But doing business personally will enable prosperity that a transactional approach can never afford you.