Black and white relationships

Before continuing with my report on the 48 laws of Power I would like to try mention a sort of meta-theory that combines the love vs. power approach to Business. I think business is a canvas on which the founders have not painted anything on. It starts with a 100% potential to get successful to do good or bad. Just as every relationship we can encounter… This business idea will differ in value depending on what the customers want and what product/service sell. Its potential will suffer depending on these constraints.

The constraints on the business are things as price, value/quality and other types of barriers of entry as laws and knowledge.
One can say a business work to create make the gap between idea and reality less, and to create the bridge to do so. And to connect this to what the reality “should be” or what the customers want.

Many businesses learn that their original idea was not really what customers wanted and might even change to something different! Just as relationships.

Some companies scew people over and some companies love their customers and treat them royaly.
Give-Give, give-take? Pillage and burn.

Black and White:
To condemn business to fit in one group as evil or just good is an outlook of life equal of seeing things as black and white. Without business we would not be able to enjoy the knowledge of books, because it would not have been available to us etc.

Just as we tend to avoid certain people and embrace others, we ought to do the same when thinking about and interacting with businesses – with a friendly distance.

Yes, Business functions much as relationships between people. Because they are an abstraction of these relationships.
A brand is a conceptualized dito in which a customers communicate with a person in uniform i.e. business representative. A business itself is founded by people and deal with people. Some people, just as businesses, are more personal than others. Some business hide behind bureaucracy or are more false than others, they might even cheat you out of every last cent.

The people working for a company is a customers contact point within this entity/business. To have such a contact can be very nice if you trust the person to guide you throught, both internal company issues, as outside issues. Therefore Guides are called so in tourism industry. They are there when you need them. That is what you pay for. To be known for great service and help, even when being forced/needing to do something, is the same type of behaviour we like in other people as they help people they do not have to help, or do that extra thing that they just did not have to do.

The human touch is what to felt within this system.

The difference between human relations and business relations is that the entry fee to the system is that you pay a fee and you are in. Once in, you will go on a journey until the transaction is complete.  A give- and take relationship. The more “love” or pull towards the relationship the more people will talk about the brand or the people working there.The less pull, or a push away from it people will equally leave, change and in talk/think badly about the brand.

Some people/business write old customers/aquitances every once a while after the transaction is complete to send new offers or just check in on them. Yes, to get more money, just as relationships can be seen as offering of value as well as asking for some value.

How a customer reacts is a personal response based on previous experiences and also knowing “who” they are and “what” the relationship is about. Some might have been hurt of previous encounters of companies or are afraid because of what they have heard, while some other are strong, know what they want and find out quickly if the company is good.

Customers come and go. The happier they are, the more they will come back depending on the amount of purchases made in a life time by a customer.

High quality and high prices drive off many. Some will still want the best, and some will settle for less. Some will demand much and give less. The cost-value relationship is therefore different. To adapt, to understand the market and find a suitable nisch. Thus, we will have opportunists, realists, great relationships and equally one night stands; Transactions based on short term needs. But maybe…  there can be something added to each transaction that gives something new and more long lived than other businesses in terms of value? Something not needed for the transaction to be taken place but done so because of the human touch of heart!

Having worked with teenagers in a student travel company I have encountered many differences between these individuals in their respektive group including the group mentality that much governs their behaviour. In general the customers want to be treated well, deserve well and although asking sometimes for too much than they can pay, they are agreeable when discussing. This is because they often times ask specific questions to their specific needs. They want an easy understandable package and then exclusions or “extras” as they go along.

There will always exist people who just gets it! Customers who understand and demand what they should demand, and also drive the company forward since they make you think of how you can provide more. They do not fight with you, but talk to you. they do not make unreasonable demands but are connected in both reality and have an understanding for how a business works with friendly distance to it.

Who is giver and who is taker. A sneaky concept. In business the customers are used to take but feel the giving part more when they pay a certain amount. The more they feel they pay the more they demand. The more one gives the easier they will take advantage.
To say no to customers sometimes even calms them because they tried your limit. This is needed when offering a personalized value. One can by minimum offer them alternatives. Alternatives that you choose based on what is fair.

Since business is more objective for the customer since the transaction is tangible with the concept of money. (An actual abstract idea that is so ingrained in our lives.) they can easily judge and compare and it is also easier to explain and talk objectively than for instance a subjective person-to-person experience. Of course they have their own perspetion of money´s worth and depending if they feel they have paid enough for the value, or even less than the value they got, they will like you.

Remember here that the fact that a money transaction has taken place means an agreement has been understood, agreed upon. Contracts are done in this way, and in relationships these are more intangible.

Do that extra thing!
As an customer; Experiencing something different that is not required. the human touch, will give more satisfaction.
The sceptics will think you add this touch this to get more money and it is true to a certain extent, because the relationship became more phone and gave more value,  but you didnt need to, just as people dont have to be nice to eachother. Is that really damage ?

Business need to get money in order to survive and the more they can take the more they can serve. Serve customers, serve employees and serve the owners so lets not hate business but understand.

As a business owner: To say no to customers is like saying no to certain aquitances. The further away they are the easier to say no. The more love you havve the harder it is. Clear and straight communication is best, as every relationship coach would say.

We will have opportunists, realists, great relationships and depending on what I need I can choose.

To finish with an example: Ryan Air: Cheap! If you do not follow the rules they screw you over and do not care at all. Yet many travel with them because they are convenient, cheap and hold their promise. But you cannot win against them!:) Just play by the rules and enjoy them.

And least but not last: I do not believe relationships and business are the same thing and obviously the differences between them implies a lot in which I cannot comprehend and dont want to go in to, but it is thought provocing I think about this connection. To see businesses less black and white and to make them more human.