The Art of Building Relationships

1. Introduction: Relationships that increase the power to act

The art of building relationships is about finding those that increase our power to act—and reducing those that weaken it—over time. Everything depends on the composition of these relationships.

2. In business, this means

• increasing the power to act of our clients,
• increasing that of our clients’ clients (as far downstream as possible, so the gain isn’t local),
• increasing our own in the process,
• and doing all this with a long-term perspective.

In a first-level relationship, this translates into 1 + 1 > 2 — what I call the Superadditivity Law of Sales.

When we close a deal, we’ve more or less succeeded in this alignment. Some do it better than others—and that’s what separates winners from the rest. Every part of the company must be oriented around this goal:

• the company itself (as a value-creating entity),
• its people (employees, leaders),
• and its suppliers.

3. Speed: the first lever

Speed is the ability to produce the desired effect faster. For example: getting a quote in two hours.

True speed, however, isn’t haste. It’s about reducing waiting time and stabilizing variability, without shifting work back onto the client. In other words, moving faster without creating stress on the other side.

When this kind of speed reduces frustration, the relationship becomes superadditive — the client acts faster, with more clarity, and naturally wants to continue working with you.

If the need for speed is already expressed by the client, it’s easy: just deliver. But if it’s not yet clear, your role is to help the client see why this need exists. Because when they understand the causes and can say,

“I need a quote in two hours because my own clients are waiting,” they’ve just increased their own power to act.

If, through your relationship, your client can 1) understand that speed strengthens their ability to act, and 2) reach the conclusion to act on their own, that’s a major win—for both sides. It requires collaboration from everyone on the supplier’s side (and from you, as the salesperson) and from the prospect as well.

4. The salesperson’s role

Your role is essential: to explore with your client what actions can increase their ability to act. Example: by delivering a quote within 2 hours, you remove stress from your client and from their own customers. It’s about building a relationship that’s human, stable, and built on trust.

5. Where to act

Every part of the process matters — sales, production, decision flow, purchasing. Start by mapping the steps (both yours and your client’s), measure them, identify bottlenecks, and reduce work-in-progress. Then act using four levers: Eliminate, Parallelize, Pre-validate, Decouple.

Each step that reduces waiting without adding stress makes the relationship stronger, faster, and more valuable for everyone involved.

6. Closing thought

Each new relationship is a test of alignment. When both sides act with more clarity, speed, and freedom, the total value created is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the art of building business relationships that last.

#sales #customerrelationship #performance #businessgrowth