Manners, patience, sincerity, trustworthiness vital to business relationships.
Arguments abound about networking used to support corrupt practices. For instance to make sure one gets a job based on who you know rather than on merit. Though this has sometimes been the case, networking if ethical is an effective business development tool that every entrepreneur should learn.
In days gone by, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, much business in Hong Kong and Shanghai secured and deals closed based largely on quanxi – “relationship” in Chinese.
Business then was conducted pretty much on one’s reputation and that was attained based on who you knew, the trust and respect you earned (or not) and, of course, your word. You could do business based on networking minus the legal documentation.
Click on the picture to read the full article written by Paul Kam, Managing Director of D’Jungle Group of Companies.