Entrepreneur Keith Orie Shares How to Add Value When Beginning a New Business Relationship

Originally published on personal-development.com

When it comes to business, relationships are as strong as how they initially start. A good beginning can, in many cases, translate to a successful and powerful long-term relationship. Not every business or professional follows through on essential components for nurturing a relationship early on. With these points in mind, Keith Orie, an entrepreneur and owner of Advanced Medical Sales, LLC, offers several ways to add value when starting a new business relationship with a client or partner.

This is so important when starting a new business relationship. You want to be your authentic self in order to forge the most authentic, meaningful relationship. Trying to act like you are someone you are not or fake interests and hobbies just to get a new client may work in the short-term, but long-term, it’s a recipe for disaster. If you start the relationship on a phony foot you could find yourself on a golf course on the hottest day of the year trying to stay afloat when in reality you’ve never golfed before and you hate the heat.

This goes hand in hand with being yourself. In order to create a meaningful business relationship, be vulnerable, and share your story. By letting the person in, you will see the relationship develop on a more deep and authentic level. Share your true story and you will see people relating to you a lot more and feeling like they can share their authentic truth with you in return. This is how you forge relationships that are lasting and are not superficial.

When you are trying to build a relationship, it’s easy to hit the golf course or meet for coffee. There is nothing wrong with these tactics, but you should aim to be a little more original and have some fun. You could try a new restaurant, a concert or a comedy club. Anything that is going to create a real memory and get both parties a little bit out of their comfort zone.

In order to develop the most valuable business relationship, it’s important to show interest in the other person’s life and be engaged when they are talking to you about it. Do they have kids? Do you know their spouse’s name? What are their hobbies? These are all things to know and to bring up in future conversations that will show that you are really interested in getting to know them and that your relationship isn’t just another business transaction. Ask questions when they are telling you a story, have authentic reactions, and laugh at their jokes. Bring up stories they have told you in the past and ask about projects and how their family is doing, among other personal details, each time you see them. They will really appreciate how invested and caring you are being in your new relationship with them.

With all of this being said, it’s important that you don’t overdo it. For example, don’t blow their phone up constantly or add them on every social network immediately. You want a valuable relationship to develop over time not overnight. Don’t bombard and smother them, but instead allow the relationship to move at an authentic pace.

Creating meaningful and valuable relationships in business can be a tricky roadblock to overcome. Be yourself, show some vulnerability, have some fun, and we promise you’ll be on the road to a true, lasting connection.

About Keith Orie

Keith Orie is the owner of Advanced Medical Sales LLC, a Texas-based company selling premium-grade durable medical equipment (DME) at affordable prices. He started the company late in college to help medical professionals effectively treat patients through non-invasive pain relief procedures. Mr. Orie studied finance at Southern Methodist University and completed internships at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Federal Home Loan Bank in Dallas, Texas. This experience gave him the strong foundation needed to dive into entrepreneurial waters.