How to Proactively Build Relationships

Being proactive is better than being reactive.

I know…it is SO corny to say, painfully corny.  But it’s also true, important, and necessary.

Being proactive is a way to surpass any expectations; it works in keeping your clients happy, keeping working relationships thriving, and it adds value to your company.  To put it simply, proactivity works.  Got it?  Good.

It seems simple enough, to actively try to be proactive with your relationships, but actually mastering it is something that most people have a hard time doing.  This is because it’s such an overreaching task; it requires you to go above and beyond the call of duty everyday when you already lead such a busy life.

As someone who admittedly can struggle with this from time to time, I want to share the rules that I follow when building and maintaining relationships:

1)   Know where your time is going.  In the midst of such a busy schedule, it is incredibly easy to get tunnel vision.  We only focus on what is right in front of us and tearing ourselves away from that train of thought is difficult. 

Try to keep track of what you do in your 40-hour workweek, see where your focus tends to be and get yourself out of the business tunnel vision trap!  Once you can see where your time is going, it is much easier to see where you can add in extra efforts towards your relationships

2)   Have an intention to change.  This one is my favorite, and probably the most obvious.  If you aren’t intentionally trying to change or be proactive, it will never happen.  Analyze the steps you can take; write them down, put them in your schedule, and make a plan!

 3)   Put yourself in the shoes of your clients.  How would you want your agency to treat you?  What results would you be looking for?  It’s powerful to really get yourself in the mindset of other people and can lead you to some helpful conclusions.

4)   Reflect on all results.  This is a rule of thumb.  Set a point in time in which you always evaluate your results, this is a great learning experience and can perfect your future efforts.  See where you failed, where you exceeded even your own expectations, and what you will do different next time.

Mastering the art of proactivity is definitely something that will vastly benefit your agency, your career, and your life.  Relationships are important and something that should be worked on daily!