The most skillful sales people know that strong relationships lead to more referrals, repeat business and higher satisfaction rates. So why would a business owner (and his or her employees or partners) spend a lot of effort building a positive relationship with a client only to jeopardize it with careless action? You know the saying: Familiarity breeds complacency? Well complacency, in turn, breeds over-familiarity!

For example, some entrepreneurs may view certain clients as friends or business colleagues, and as clients second. Or the relationship might be long-term, so you assume you can be ultra-casual. In both cases, it's excellent to have reached a point where interactions are friendly and enjoyable so long as you, a business owner, remember to provide the same high-quality service, communication and follow-through that a prospective or new client might receive.

This scenario can also apply to the client who expects a vendor to work weekends to meet an unrealistic due-date, an employer who habitually over-relies on an agreeable employee, or an employee who over-indulges on an employer's generosity or flexibility. In a professional relationship, you can't assume an endless supply of goodwill.

Regardless of your role in the business relationship—but particularly if you're the self-employed enterprise owner—there are easy steps that can help keep a professional relationship strong. Following are some ideas:

Set clear expectations. Whether this is your first or 50th collaboration, take the initiative to set specific expectations for the project, your respective roles and desired results. Do not assume that your previous projects or work together will dictate how you'll operate on this one. Operate with "beginner's mind" to ensure clear expectations and minimize assumptions.

Perform project check-ins. Throughout the project, check in with your client to discuss what's working and what needs improvement from your perspective and theirs. Such check-ins can be casual or formal, as long as they're clearly intended to gather accurate feedback. The information gathered can only help to improve the remainder of the project and ensure that no one is taking advantage of the relationship.

Enjoy the personal touch, but be mindful of time. To keep from blurring the lines of client and friend or colleague relationships, reserve time to catch up on extended non-project-related discussions over lunch or for a specified time frame before and/or following the "business meeting" portion of your discussions. This doesn't mean you can't be friendly and catch up on shared personal interests, but rather that you're not spending an entire business meeting on personal chatter and avoiding key business-related issues that also require dialogue. Maintaining distinct interactions or lines of dialogue allows you to concentrate fully on the topic at hand, so you're less likely to miss a cue or drop an important detail.

Be professional. Err toward professionalism in every situation. This doesn't mean that you'll speak ultra-formally, use stilted gestures, ignore the personal touch or shared interests, or act aloof. Rather, you're demonstrating courtesy and detail-consciousness toward the other person regardless of how long you've known one another. You show up on time, are prepared for every meeting, return calls and emails and demonstrate and share your expertise—just as you would with any other client.

Review as "case studies" those instances that don't measure up. If you're a client (or employer, etc.) and perceive that service is slipping, say so. You are not helping anyone by remaining silent, and may, in fact, be encouraging the poor service if you do not make the other person aware of the effect it has. The same is the case if you're the vendor and your client isn't doing his or her part toward ensuring a mutually beneficial arrangement (this might include not providing timely feedback, not being available within the time frames agreed upon, not giving you the information or access you need, etc.).

Make your intention clear, up-front. State your intention to maintain (if not strengthen) your working relationship by setting boundaries, being clear about expectations, etc. Ensure that all parties know that, while the relationship may be friendly and your work together fun, there is also a deep commitment to high-quality work and positive progress. This approach will ensure that the other person interprets your work style as wholly professional and in the best interests of your mutually beneficial relationship. It also will engender confidence in your abilities.



—Jamie Walters is founder of Ivy Sea, Inc., a consulting and advocacy group, in San Francisco.