In all business environments, developing and maintaining relationships is important for survival. We are not only talking about customer relationships, but also vendors and suppliers as well as our own employees. Transparency is key to keeping initiatives healthy as well as keeping the company healthy. How you execute the transparency in order to develop and maintain those relationships is the struggle.

Define Transparency in Business Relationships

Let’s start with how we provide transparency with all our projects for our customers. Our job is to provide a solution for a client’s metal enclosure needs. These needs can vary from not having any idea what the custom enclosure will look like or how it will work to understanding the basics of fabricating sheet metal but needing to watch how the “magic happens”. From the start of the project to completion, we show our customer’s each step and make sure they have input at each juncture. We can’t just take their business and create a product and deliver it. Transparency for us is making sure the customer is with us every step of the way. Our stand-alone design engineering services require this.

Honesty is Vital to Business Relationships

Transparency and honesty go hand in hand. Manufacturing plants are run by people. People make mistakes. But, it would be a mistake on our part to not be honest when an issue comes up that is our fault. Admitting you’re wrong is hard. But it is necessary when it comes to any business contract. Many executives could have a first instinct of trying to bluff their way through a project issue. This will not keep a customer or supplier happy. It certainly won’t keep employees happy. The old adage, “Honesty is the best policy” are words to live by.

Creating Stronger Business Relationships

All businesses are driven by sales. But, customers and employees don’t stick around if all you see are numbers. We want our clients and employees to see us as a partner in their own success. There are basics to creating stronger relationships: Engagement, ask for feedback, open channels of communication and, value the individual, not the numbers. If you can do this and be honest and transparent, your business will thrive!