The Top Mistakes in Business Relationships in 24/25 … and the science behind how to fix them.
Stronger relationships benefit all of us — especially in business, where the stakes are high. Whether you're building commercial relationships, pitching for contracts, or seeking to expand existing partnerships, the ability to influence and persuade effectively is crucial for success.
Almost every day I see costly business relationship mistakes.
That's why applying behavioural science principles, knowledge of how neuroscience plays an important part in decision-making, and communication psychology is so important. Ignore them at your peril.
Even when a proposal is clear, a presentation goes well, or a meeting feels positive, it doesn't always lead to business or an indication of strong interest — such as a second conversation, concrete next steps, or a confirmed contract. Those who have already established a presence, built relationships, and secured early success, can struggle to continue that momentum in developing business relationships — whether that be to renew a contract, expand with more product lines, or reposition a service. Equally, organisations seeking to enter new markets can find 'getting their foot in the door' in the first place difficult and they commonly don't know why initial contact leads nowhere.
Industries have their own ways, their terminology and tailored approaches but regardless of whether you’re large or small, local or international, new or well-established, the same principles apply.
Mistakes: As a Doctor in Business and Behavioural Science in Communication, and having worked in this field for years now, I see why business relationships break down. Here are the top four most common of 24/25:
• Not exerting effective influence strategies continually. Being passive, letting them lead throughout and missing opportunities to show your value without being seen as 'salesy'.
• Missing status cues. We forget to position ourselves as the expert, not simply a service they can procure if they wish.
• Framing from your own perspective. People can assimilate information more quickly and easily when you make it easy for them to understand what pain you help them to avoid and what they will gain.
• Communication timing and structure. Too much information can lead to overwhelm and switch off. But too slow a pace with a lack of rhythm and obvious story or flow will kill the mood and make them not see doing business with you as a pleasure.
The opportunities to influence and persuade are abundant but we don't always spot them. From day-to-day conversations to formal partnership pitches, and investor presentations, there are principles that will genuinely improve your business results and you'll know it; you'll feel it when you interact.
I've studied this for years and there are proven tactics which research time and time again echoes. For example, the preparatory work which involves researching the company you're thinking of doing business with is often completed thoroughly but not all businesses think to research themselves – i.e. what will that company find when they research you? That's often one of their early impressions of you and your business. It's wise to update your profiles, public content and even post about topics you know will be more relevant to the client.
Another thing I highly recommend is to ask yourself for every point you make with a client, what are they taking from this point. For example, if you set out where your locations are across the world on a colourful slide, you might be thinking that this showcases how successful we are globally but they won't make that connection. Even if you say you're successful globally, that in itself is not a powerful persuader. What does work well is telling them why this benefits them – e.g. "this speeds up our delivery to you", or "this makes us resilient so regardless of the circumstances of a single region, we can still deliver", or "you can see we have consistently grown sustainably and anticipate continuing to grow at a similar steady rate". These phrases instil confidence and spell out why it's important to them. Don't make them have to work to understand why this point is included – make every point count.
I specialise in helping businesses master these dynamics. And while UK businesses face these challenges, European and Asian businesses who work with UK organisations face additional barriers because they have English as a second language. Manchester, as a city that continues to attract foreign direct investment, sees many of these international partnerships forming. Regardless of whether you are international or not, these business principles are universal and they genuinely help.
I will host a free online session, open to Chamber members and the wider business community titled: An Introduction to UK Business Success: The Science of UK Business Influence (click here or see the events section of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce website).
This session offers a practical introduction to how behavioural science can support professionals in persuading and influencing effectively within the UK business environment — especially in moments where they want to expand an existing relationship or take a first conversation further.
Join me, your business will thank you!
Dr Elayne Doherty, www.pipenglishuk.com.