As businesses emerge from covid19 shut downs and seek to reenergize their ventures, one asset above all others stands out as the most valuable resource that doesn’t appear on the balance sheet – quality long-standing relationships!

For many businesses, it has been their established relationships that have been the source of sales and life blood that has kept them afloat during the worst days of the pandemic.

It’s relationships that will provide the much-needed momentum to propel these operations forward when restrictions are lifted and normality returns.

It’s in tough times such as those being experienced at present or in past economic downturns that the real value of relationships becomes understood and appreciated.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that the value of a business should not be measured by a numeric figure in the books of account but instead by the strength of the relationships.

These include everyone the owner or enterprise engages with i.e. staff, clients, alliance partners, suppliers, competitors, community groups, industry associations …and the list goes on and on.

Unlike many of a company’s assets, strong relationships are not a diminishing resource that depreciate over time. When carefully nurtured and maintained they grow and the commercial benefit they provide the business multiplies.

The benefit for those businesses with strong relationships is that they are perceived positively. A benefit of this is loyalty is reflected in clients being the firm’s number one brand ambassador readily referring the organisation to friends, family and business associates.

There’s no argument that advances in technology and communication mediums assist and reinforce relationships.

Unfortunately, over time, and for a multitude of reasons, personal connectivity activities begin to wane. Impersonal email broadcasts, video teleconferences, tweets and non-descript newsletters become the ‘go to’ communication mediums and those once valuable connections evaporate.

As humans we are hard-wired to build trust and loyalty to other people, not to objects, processes or gimmicky advertising or technological mediums.

Loyalty and trust come from experiences that are communicated in person with warmth and competence.

Unfortunately, when it comes to relationships – every business is unique and different, so there is no ‘secret sauce’ or off the shelf solution that a business owner can buy and then apply.

For relationships to be effective, it is important to see the world from the client’s perspective.

So, the business owner needs to step outside themselves and see things through the eyes of the client and build the relationship accordingly.

There are however, three essential components that underpin strong relationships – 1) genuineness 2) the personal touch and 3) the need to get out of your comfort zone.

This requires getting out of the office and connecting in person. It is the ultimate MBA i.e. Managing By getting Around.

It’s for this reason that I view relationships as being no different to the foundations of a skyscraper.

They are not seen – are incredibly important – and the deeper / stronger they are – the higher and more structurally sound will be the building constructed on top.

In closing, those businesses that have nurtured those all-important connections and relationships are invariably rewarded with heightened business reputations and brands. They are elevated by the word of mouth and endorsed and promoted by appreciative and passionate clients.

当所有商业贸易活动从COVID-19的疫情封锁中重启，并寻求提振活力时刻，其中有一项资产脱颖而出，成为平衡表上史无前例、最有价值的资源——那就是优质的长期人脉关系！

对于许多公司企业来说，在疫情肆虐时期，彼此建立的关系一直是销售来源和维持生存的命脉。当限制解除、市场恢复秩序时，这种互信关系将为推动业务的发展进程提供急需的动力。

唯有处于艰难时刻，比如当前或过去发生的经济衰退事件，人们才会理解和珍惜创建人脉关系所带来的实际价值。

事实上，我认为，企业的价值不应该只是通过账簿上的数字进行评定，而应该透过人脉关系的强度来衡量。

这其中包括经营者或企业与之接触的所有人脉联系：即员工、客户、联盟伙伴、供应商、竞争对手、社区团体，行业协会等等，类似例子不胜枚举。

有别于公司企业的众多资产，牢固的关系并非一种会随着时间而递减的贬值资源。如果精心培育和维护，它们就会成长，同样的，提供的商业利益也会成倍增加。

至于一些拥有稳健人脉关系的企业具备积极感知的优势。上述正面的影响将体现在客户的忠诚度上，他们作为企业的头号品牌大使，随时会把有关组织介绍给朋友、家人和商业伙伴。

随着科技和通讯交流媒介的高速发展，毫无疑问将有助于促进人与人之间的关系。

至于造成的弊端就是随着时间推移，由于种种原因，个人的联系交流开始减弱。缺乏人情味的广播邮件、视频电话会议、推特还有毫无特色的时事通讯工具成为人们“首选”的沟通媒介，那些曾经有珍贵意义的连接也消失无踪。

生而为人，我们的天性中就会对他人建立信任和忠诚，而并非因为物品、过程、噱头广告或科技媒体。

忠诚和信任来自于热情和亲切，双方面对面交流的体验。

令人遗憾的是，当涉及到人际关系时，每个企业都是独一无二，所以没有“秘方”或现成的解决方案，可以供企业经营者直接购买并应用。

而欲使人脉关系发挥效用，从客户的角度看世界是很重要的。所以，企业主需要走出本身的圈子，透过客户的视线观察问题，并构建相应的关系。

然而，稳健牢靠的人脉关系有三个基本要素：1.真诚、2.亲和性，3.走出自身舒适区。

我们需要走出办公室，亲自与周边沟通联系。这是终极的 MBA（Managing By getting Around），即通过四处视察实行管理。

综观以上原因，我认为打造人脉关系与奠定摩天大楼的地基是一样的。

纵然无法肉眼可见，但却非常重要，而且越深层就越坚固，上面的建筑越高，底盘结构也越稳固。

最后，那些悉心栽培这项关键资产-连接人们和维系人脉关系的工商企业，必然会取得更显著的商业声誉和品牌效应。他们通过口口相传得到提升，并获得赞赏，以及热情的客户们认可与推广。