Building Effective Business Relationships

A relationship is built on trust and empathy. Without these two qualities, it’s hard to make a meaningful connection with another person. This article will explore the numerous ways you can grow your social and emotional intelligence to empathise more effectively with others.

We all want relationships that make us feel fulfilled, where we connect deeply with someone else who understands us for who we really are – but building these kinds of connections takes time and effort

Empathy is essential in work because it’s not anyone else’s job to figure out what their employee needs. Understanding others and empathising with them allows employees to understand better the problems they are going through, which improves the organisation and its culture. When you can walk in their shoes, thinking about other people is fundamental to collaboration and powerful group identity and is the real key to “winning together”.

Building your capability for empathic collaboration starts by asking more questions, actively listening, assuming a curious mindset, and building on others’ ideas. Then, work to encourage empathy and creative collaboration across your team.

Everyone is a gem; everyone possesses superpowers and geniuses. If you can look someone in the eye and help them feel more confident and help them be their best, then that’s a no-lose situation.

About how to build a relationship and its benefits: ‘If you focus on the who and how we work together,… you get far better results, and in a way where you bring people along, people feel very fulfilled.’

It’s (relationship building is) going down towards that emotional and social intelligence field, which is massive now. The way you connect with people is all to do with having a more profound empathetic understanding of who we are, allowing us to communicate better with others by becoming emotionally conscious.

Here are 4 tips to help you build better connections with people

1 How to build trust in relationships

There are a lot of misconceptions about how to build trust in relationships. Many people believe that it is all about looking out for oneself and that if you do the right things, people will take care of themselves. The reality is quite different, though. Some fundamental principles need to be followed when building a business relationship to create a positive outcome for both parties involved.

With any other person, honesty will always help a lot. It is essential that you are honest about everything with your significant other because otherwise, you’ll be causing some severe damage to the relationship.

2 What it Takes to Build Consistency, Together Cohesively

The key to developing consistency is in focus on how we can work together. When you are
consistent in your interactions with external stakeholders, it’s essential to be clear and specific about what you want them to do. Ensure that they understand the message being communicated and match it with your messaging when communicating internally.

It’s a simple concept but needs commitment from all departments within an organisation for long term relationships to thrive.

3 Keep Your Promises

It is essential in your personal relationships; keeping your promises is vital to maintaining the trust and positive relationship with your customer base.

Trust is a sacred thing. Once it is broken, it’s hard to put back together. When your company makes a promise to your customers, it creates an expectation. When money is changing hands under a set of expectations, any violation of that trust can be a huge deal. Your customers will start to feel that they can’t rely on you. They may be less likely to refer your company to their friends and family because they don’t want the same experience. You are losing a customer who you need more than ever right now when your company needs it most.

4 Connection with people and showing mutual respect

The basis of any healthy relationship, respect can be established by:

Treating others with courtesy, kindness and consideration, regardless of their race, religion or gender size.

Listen to what they have to say before voicing your own viewpoint.

Never intrude or cut individuals off while they are in flow or insult, blame, threaten or call peoplenames when you are irritated or upset.

Approaching conflict is something that helps organisations to avoid belittling, demeaning or judging, behaviour.

Remember that constant criticism, condescending, judgement, or demeaning behaviour adds up over time and can constitute bullying. It’s essential to have a one-to-one relationship with your stakeholders. Meet with them regularly and maintain their trust by doing what you say, delivering on time, and providing them with the information they need when they ask for it.

Show your commitment by listening to them and addressing their concerns. Keep in mind that consistency is crucial and how we can work together cohesively across departments so that our message remains consistent.

High Performance Blog

The top 1% don’t pursue success sporadically; they cultivate it systematically—daily, weekly.
By Jason Cooper April 3, 2025
The top 1% don’t chase success in bursts. They build it in layers—daily, weekly, monthly—through small, repeatable actions that align with their values and goals. They stay committed when it’s hard. They don’t wait to feel ready. They act anyway.
It’s all about people skills. Everything we do in sales, regardless of the methodology we use
By Jason Cooper March 13, 2025
We talk about the use of humor to humanize the whole selling process. We talk about building trust and resilience. We talk about a little bit of neuroscience as it pertains to buyers and sellers. Jason does a little bit of research and work in that category. Those following us closely know I guested on Jason's podcast, The Global Sales Leader Podcast, which was super fun. We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation on the show.
The Structure of the Brain and Communication in Sales: Creating Meaning in Sales Conversations
By Jason Cooper March 12, 2025
Every individual processes information differently based on their past experiences, personal biases, and cognitive associations. This means how we frame our message significantly impacts how it is received.​
Phrases to Avoid in Sales Conversations
By Jason Cooper January 28, 2025
These are essential elements of modern sales success, and they often begin with self-awareness and deliberate communication.
Purpose shapes goals and aligns success with a clear sense of direction. Jason Cooper Training
By Jason Cooper January 8, 2025
Connecting your passion to your purpose, and there are many things you can do to follow a process. Psychology believes a strong purpose is crucial for personal fulfilment and professional success. It is the foundation for intrinsic motivation, resilience, and performance, whether in sales
By Jason Cooper November 11, 2024
Maximizing the ROI of Sales Training: A Guide for Sales Trainers and Consultants
By Jason Cooper October 16, 2024
The Power of Feedback. Lessons from Running a Mountain Marathon for High-Performance Insights.
Your Brand Matters: High-Performance Sales Training & Coaching at Deloitte Ireland
By Jason Cooper October 1, 2024
Your Brand Matters: High-Performance Sales Training & Coaching Personal branding and coaching delivery
By Jason Cooper September 18, 2024
Succeeding in Business and Sales Relationships: Why It's So Important
By Jason Cooper August 30, 2024
Mastering Non-Verbal Communication for Sales Success
More Posts