This statement has been the source of much deserved backlash over the years. People realize that business is at it’s best when it becomes personal to it’s customers and employees.

Lately I have been thinking about how business can use this adage to redefine their customer relationships by slightly modifying it.

For the customer/employee/owner it is personal, for the business it’s just business.

What do I mean? For the customer walking in to your store the transaction is very personal. They are deciding to use their hard earned resources with you. Expectations are created and are either met, exceeded or not lived up to.  

Emotions are automatically involved in transactions of expectations. Even as the customer service representative or owner of a company you have your own set of emotional attachments around how you and the company are treated.

It’s just business…

Usually this means to do whatever you want to get ahead and damn the consequences. We ought to redefine it as a mantra to be calm under pressure. Especially when personally, we do not want to be. When a customer is angry you respond not from anger or fear but calmly, it’s just business not personal. I touched on something similar in the post about Yelp reviews. When an employee messes up for the last time and you have to let them go keep it friendly, it’s just business not personal.

When things are going great, that is the cue to make it personal. Happy customers and employees should be created and encouraged. Everyone likes to be served well and recognized. When it is positive make it personal.

Next time you face a difficult or negative situation and are tempted to make it personal remember, it’s just business.