In a post about relationships, we couldn’t help but go Seventeen style and start with a little quiz.  (Unfortunately, the quiz won’t help you to determine whether your current flame is really Mr. or Ms. Right.  But it will still be fun!) Here we go!

All other factors being equal…

1. Who are you more likely to buy Girl Scout cookies from?

A) Your niece

B) A random kid who sets up a stand outside of Price Chopper

2. Are you more likely to enroll your child in

A) A daycare center run by your best friend

B) A daycare center that you saw advertised in the newspaper

3. Who are you more likely to hire to mow your lawn?

A) Your nephew’s lawn mowing company

B) A landscaping company whose number was printed on the side of that truck that almost hit you on the Thruway the other day

There really is no right answer to these questions.  But we’d bet a quart of egg nog that the majority of people would answer A to all three of them.  Why?  People value relationships.  If you are in need of a particular service and you know someone who specializes in that service, chances are, you are going to give your business to the person you know and like.

If you don’t happen to have a whole family tree of people who are in need of your particular service, however, this idea is still super important.  Even if your relationship with a customer began when your business transactions began, you can still foster the type of relationship that will make this client come back again and again.

It’s all about making your clients comfortable with you and your business.  If you and your employees do an effective job while being courteous and friendly, you are likely to have repeat customers who trust your company and look forward to doing business with you.  You need to show your customers that you like them as much as you like their money.

And it doesn’t hurt to go out of your way to remind your clients that you value the relationships you have with them.  Giving promotional items or sending holiday greetings and gifts to your clients can show that you value not only their business, but the relationships they have formed with you.

An additional bonus that goes along with being buddies with your clients is the power of the word of mouth that can follow.  You want each client not only to maintain his relationship with you, but also to talk it up with his friends.

And suddenly you can find yourself on the right end of a chain reaction that starts with each customer saying, “Yo, I’ve got this pal down at <Your Business Name Here> who can definitely help you out…”