Personal touch is so important for clients

Aug 5 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

In the latest in his series looking at the “Top traits of successful exporters” - vision, commitment, focus, research, planning, training, relationship building, quality, adaptation and energy - David Coppock, UKTI’s head of international relations for the North-east, looks at the personal touch.

NO MAN (or woman) is an island - we are all involved in relationship building, almost every day of our lives.

Some - such as those with our close family and friends - are obviously more important to us than others. And to be a success in business too, you should never underestimate the importance of relationships.

A relationship is defined as “dealings and feelings between people or countries” or the “connection between two things” while building can be defined as “establish and develop” or to “make or construct”. And once they’re established, even the best relationships need work - take them for granted at your peril.

Building and maintaining good relationships is vital in business, whether it is with your own staff and colleagues or your external partners and customers. It may not always be easy but the rewards are worth it. If you can build a good strong relationship with a potential customer, you’re not only likely to clinch the deal but they’re far more likely to come back with more work in the future.

It’s quite simple really - most people would prefer to do business with someone they know and trust. So you need to invest some time and effort in getting to know those you want to do business with and be prepared to continue that investment to maintain the relationship.

Add an international element and things become more difficult because of the distances involved and the differences in language and culture.

But distance need not be a barrier to building good relationships - in today’s high-tech world it has never been easier to keep in touch.

And UK Trade & Investment offers a wide range of services to help ensure companies have all the knowledge, skills and support they need to overcome any other perceived barriers and succeed overseas.

Face-to-face meetings are obviously important, particularly in the early stages, but here too UK Trade & Investment can help. Each year it organises a programme of visits to key markets to help companies explore the opportunities and meet potential clients and contacts.

UK Trade & Investment’s wide range of services can also help you make the best use of your time on a market visit by providing in-depth market reports and helping to identify potential customers and partners before you leave as well as providing useful tips and advice on doing business in your target market.

To find out more call the North East International Trade Hotline on 0845 05 05 054 or email: enquiries@ukti.rito.co.uk