I’ve been around small business my whole life, so it naturally became something that I was and still am interested in. My dad owns a catering company, so I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in sales for years. Everything from witnessing him setup meetings to explain different foods and wedding packages to clients, to catering the weddings and washing dishes; I have seen all aspects of the business. Being able to have this unique inside look into owning and operating a business has made me realize something crucial about sales and business in general; establishing good relationships are paramount.
Being able to connect with not only clients, but employees and vendors is very important in ensuring a successful work environment. Regarding the customer, having a genuine conversation and showing that you care about them is key in giving them an enjoyable and stress-free experience. Not only is this good practice to help the event at hand go well, but it ultimately leads to more repeat business and referrals to other potential clients. What I’ve witnessed over the years is that building a good relationship with the customer is some of the strongest marketing that a company can have. When a business displays that they care about the customer, it creates trust and is overall just good for the company.
Employee relationships and dynamics are also very important. It is essential to ensure that the work environment is low stress, and I feel like a family-oriented business makes employees feel at ease as well. Typically, people work the best when they are not stressed out, so that’s why creating this general ambience is crucial. Finally, strong relationships with vendors or anybody that the business buys products from is key. Creating a healthy long-term relationship from business to business can lead to a mutually beneficial scenario where both parties win.
Being involved in every aspect in a business is definitely good experience. Like you said, building relationships and making a good atmosphere is very important. This is for when talking to clients or for employees working. If employees feel good and connected, they will probably work better. And if the client builds a good relationship with you, trusts you, and feels good about the situation, there is a better chance that they will want to work with you.