When I was a kid and I watch some of my favorite television shows like “Bewitched”—it seemed that all the business that Darren accomplished was done by “schmoozing”—dinner parties and lunches where it seemed that the conversation was seldom about work. I was led to believe that this was how business relationships were nurtured and this was how business was done. In my early years of working and in the years I worked as a fundraiser and development person for nonprofit agencies, it was still assumed that “schmoozing” was how to get things done. From what I have been reading and observing, however, it seems to be much less about schmoozing anymore and more about other more tangible ways of building working relationships.
Whether it is because of technology, or the fact that many of us are working in a more global environment, or the crunch for time—business people seem to be less interested in spending long schmoozy lunches or take the time and resources to wine and dine each other to try to get business accomplished. I know that there are some industries where this is still considered the way of things, but I also think that there are other ways of building a loyal clientele that are gaining momentum. Competitive pricing and service delivery, as well as increased flexibility are some of the things that I have seen an increased focus on in the past few years. Of course, this is just my take on things and ways that I have noticed that the focus seems to be shifting in the fast-paced and ever-changing world of business.
I would love to hear from others and see what you think? Do you think that wining, dining and schmoozing clients is fading into the past? What are the ways that you find yourself trying to cultivate prospects and build working relationships?
See Also: Who Takes Care of Business?
Getting to Know Customers and Clients Outside of Business