Have You Hugged a Customer Today?

I just read a story that said that you really can die of a broken heart. Granted, in this case they are talking about personal relationships here.  But I’ve come to see business relationships as very personal. 

This study says that stress and the anxiety caused by angry and hostile relationships can, in fact, increase your risk of heart attacks.

So how much does this have to do with the relationships we have with our clients and customers?  Plenty.

Let’s look at some of those "relationship" behaviors that we often find ourselves in:

1.    Waiting for the phone to ring because "He said he would call." – If you’ve ever woken up late at night wondering if your client or customer would call to seal that deal. then you’re in a relationship behavior where you care about that person and you want to be in a relationship with them.  What they do – and don’t do – matters to you.  I’m not sure that either side doesn’t find themselves in this situation.  Perhaps it’s a little healthy to have both sides wait for the phone to ring – just a little bit, and then smile when they know it’s you.

2.    Arguing about money.  The number one stressor in any private relationship is dealing with money – so why should working relationships be different.  No one likes to talk about it.  We each have different ways of measuring value and talking about "price" is something that is uncomfortable for most of us.  I prefer not to have to talk about it – because the value exchange should be clear.  It’s our job as marketers to make it clear.  The best way to NOT argue about money is to agree on a clear value exchange.

3.    Jealousy and insecurity.  It’s really no fun to be in a relationship where you feel threatened by competing forces.  Again, if the value and benefit that each side brings to the party is clear, then these two green-eyed monsters should be kept at bay.  A little insecurity on both sides is healthy, it keeps everyone on their toes and puts the focus on spending time each day working to make the relationship strong.  But too much of these is never a good thing.

4.    Support and Protection.  The study did find that people who have a supportive and "soft place to fall" are a little healthier.  What a great lesson in terms of customer service.  That is our goal when we are in relationships with customers – to give them a place where they can openly share information without negative consequences. 

Value Exchange is a Critical Part of Healthy Relationships

The moral of today’s news story is that people are people – whether you are in a personal relationship or a business relationship.  People are people first and their role as spouce, client or purchasing manager somewhere toward the end.

In fact, it’s safe to assume with the increased hours we spend in our professional relationships, that we actually take them very personally.