Successful businesses could be summed up in the way they approach four key things:
People, Innovation, Finances and Effective Marketing. The most powerful of these is people.
Without the right people, or connection to the right people, the other three elements will never get off the ground. So how do relationships enhance the potential of your brand?
i - Mentors and inspiring leaders (inspiration and enlightenment)
ii - Staff and trusted suppliers (enablers and production)
iii - Existing and potential customers (income and community)
In order to reveal greater potential in your brand, having a great mentor who can speak into your particular situation is crucial. Those who have gone before you and achieved similar goals to your own can be invaluable and potentially save you years of trial and error.
Obviously having the right staff and trusted suppliers is critical to harnessing all your business can be. Seeing the potential in your staff and investing in that can exponentially drive your business forward with new energy, staff loyalty and a willingness to go the extra mile when required.
Also consider the potential you may have in partnering with your trusted suppliers on projects. The sum of both of your expertise may present a whole new range of possibilities and potential when united as a team.
Existing customers can provide a wealth of insight into where your potential for growth and brand strengthening lies. They already use your service and trust you to deliver – so how else could you help them and what additional services would they value?
The final relationship to invest in is with potential customers. Be generous with your time and expertise.
Where appropriate, support networking events. Be a guest speaker, write blog posts and white papers. Be active on social media and be part of the online conversations. I appreciate it’s not always possible to be generous with your time; we all have a finite amount, and as a business leader you will have many priorities, not to mention commitments outside of work.
Just remember: opportunities flowthrough people. Potential is frequently manifested through the right conversations at the right time – often when we least expect it. We need to be ready to seize that opportunity and make the most of it as soon as we are able.
Through genuine and authentic relationships we can energise, enable and support one another on to greater success.
Bite-sized Case Study
Working in partnership with other organisations is a great way to harness both of your potential into something even greater.
I once worked for an agency with a long-standing relationship with a blue-chip global travel and events provider. We created marketing assets for them and were frequently invited to speak about event marketing and design at various events they hosted.
As the relationship they had with our agency deepened, they subsequently invited us to pitch alongside them as they presented event concepts to other major global brands.
We were given free rein with the event creative while they took care of the logistics, production and management of projects. Having defined lanes to work within enabled each organisation to realise the value they could bring, which in turn brought about a highly profitable and interesting collaboration for both parties. The key was in understanding where the potential lay for each organisation and how best to harness this.
Action points: Review your relationships
MENTORS
✅ Do you have a mentor? Are you taking enough time to learn and be inspired by someone who has already achieved what you want to attain?
✅ Are you putting in time everyday for your personal growth. Experienced mentors can recognise great areas of potential for you to invest in - or conversely - question you when they disagree.
STAFF
✅ Are you investing enough in your staff? Do they feel valued? Can you identify the potential they each have within your organisation.
✅ What are you doing to help them harness their potential for themselves and your company?
CUSTOMERS AND POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS
✅ How are you over-delivering and bringing more delight and satisfaction to your existing customers? How are you giving out to your business community and reaching out to potential customers in a genuine collaborative way.
✅ How are you part of the conversation they are having on social media and through networking events? You need to invest to find out where the potential may lie in new and existing relationships