Success Coaching Tips for Better Business Relationships

Alright, listen up. I am in no way advocating kicking your significant other to the curb until Christmas. However, now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone, let’s get down to business – business relationships.

Mutual success coaching is two or more people sharing tips and ideas to improve business and personal relationships.

Which relationships in your working world could use a little extra care? Which of your contacts could help you and your business get to the next level? Who could potentially act as a mentor and give you sound business advice when you need it most?

The people within our business networks can be some of the most influential and powerful people around in terms of our success coaching.

My great friend and mentor, 7-time NY Times bestselling author Harvey Mackay, says that you could take away all of his wealth and he would be able to make it all back within two years. The catch is he must be able to keep his network of friends and business associates.  This must be a pretty powerful group of influential people, no doubt.

However, the reality is we all need a support system. This includes partners, collaborators, team members, sounding boards, and even cheerleaders.

Going ‘lone wolf’ in business is not a great idea and likely a recipe for disaster. Even the smartest, most accomplished achievers consult other respected people for their insights and opinions. In this way, success coaching should be a natural, two-way, street.

Whether you are looking to establish a long-term business relationship or just have a fresh set of eyes look at your business model, it is imperative to surround yourself with the right people in order to get the right advice.

The late Steve Jobs used to say the following about success coaching and the symbiotic relationship that should exist in business:

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

Even the smartest, most  innovative people in the history of the world realize the power of a network and the power of collaboration.

Take some time to write down the names of the people you know that are among the most influential in your circle. Also, take a few minutes to make a list of a few more people you don’t yet know but would like to meet. Now that you have lists, here are a few tips on how to help fortify those relationships to practice mutual success coaching.

1. Research Favorite Sports Teams and Interests – Try to find out the favorite team, sport, player, or other interest of those in your network. If you have a special thank you to send, consider using a signed piece of memorabilia. Every time this person sees their favorite Tom Brady (or whoever) jersey in their office, they will think of you. If their team is playing in a big game, send a text wishing them luck. You’d be surprised how far gestures like these can go in terms of strengthening bonds.
2. Birthdays and Anniversaries – With the advent of Facebook, everybody is seemingly getting thousands of notes and well wishes from people, half of whom they probably don’t even know. Please go beyond just sending a Facebook message, so that you can set yourself apart from the masses. If you want to take it even further, you send a note in the now-ancient art of handwriting.
3. For No Good Reason – If you haven’t had contact in a while, feel free to send flowers, a bottle of wine, or even just a simple text to let them know that they are valuable.
4. Create An Exclusive Event – You might be celebrating a victory for your business or maybe you just would like to put together Super Bowl (or any other big event) party to bring in your list of people. Keep it exclusive and they will feel extra special.
5. Create A Secret Group – Use Facebook, do google hangouts, or whatever method you feel comfortable with to set up interaction among the preferential people in your network. The group could be used for training purposes, mentorship, a charity, a networking platform, or for the exchange of dialogue and ideas. Once again, allowing people to feel special let’s them know that you genuinely care.

Begin to think of these relationships as an investment – you might spend a bit of time of money – but the end result just might pay big dividends.

Happy Presidents Day!

Happy Family Day Canada!

Susan Sly is a Balanced Living and Productivity Expert.  She is an author, speaker and entrepreneur.  She has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox and Lifetime Television.  Susan is the mother of five children.  She, and her husband, Chris, reside in Scottsdale, Arizona.