The Two-Way Street Of Respectful Business Relationships

Forbes

18-07-2025

Jeff Maggs is Managing Partner/Atlanta at Brunner, an independent integrated marketing agency.
Respect is a two-way street. In business, mutual respect isn't about always agreeing or playing nice. It's about honesty, openness to challenge and multi-dimensional growth. Real respect invites disagreement, sparks meaningful conversations and drives better outcomes. It's not always pretty, but it's almost always productive.
Having worked at ad agencies throughout my career, I've seen all kinds of client relationships. Some of them are good, and some are not the best. The ones I've seen succeed are those where clients don't expect us to say 'yes' to every whim. They want experts who push back, offer insight and bring real value to the table. When mutual respect and trust are in place, teams move faster, feedback loops are tighter and results improve. It's not just about being nice; it's about being effective.
Real-World Example: Becoming A Trusted Partner
A great example of building a trusted relationship came while my agency was working with a U.S.-based global energy provider that had long held a dominant market position. However, they were facing an aggressive challenge from a French competitor. Initially, the client was prepared to respond by investing big ad dollars to push back hard on this challenger brand.
Instead of jumping straight into execution, we recommended they take a step back. We listened carefully, conducted in-depth research and engaged with both internal and external stakeholders. Through this process, our agency uncovered that the real issue wasn't one that advertising could solve. The challenge was rooted in deeper, systemic problems related to customer relationship management.
We ultimately recommended a strategic overhaul of their approach to reaching a younger generation of customers, with whom they had little to no equity. That decision marked a turning point. From then on, we weren't just seen as an ad agency—we became a trusted strategic partner sitting at the head table and helping drive meaningful business outcomes.
Four Tips For Building A Strong Relationship
Over the years, I've focused on four ways to build strong, lasting relationships with clients, colleagues and consumers.
Strong relationships begin with listening and understanding. Take the time to hear their perspective—their challenges, goals and needs. By first learning from and empathizing with others, you can ensure transactional interactions begin to transform into personalized connections. I've found that empathy is the foundation of effective communication.
As you listen and learn, disagreements are inevitable and healthy. Respectful relationships aren't built on constant agreement (or even submission) but on the ability to challenge ideas constructively, moving them forward faster and building on them. The back-and-forth can lead to positive outcomes. As people's perspectives respectfully differ, we can leverage disagreement to innovate, improve or grow. When both sides feel heard and valued, even hard conversations among strong-willed people can lead to better thinking, stronger and more sustainable ideas, and deeper trust.
Disagreement opens the door to debates where views are challenged and real growth happens. It is crucial to ensure that clients or other stakeholders hear what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear. Clients need more than affirmation; they need unfiltered, informed perspectives. Insulating yourself among a protective shield of like-minded 'yes' people may make your life easier, but it can be incredibly limiting and short-sighted. Constructive debate grounded in expertise and a willingness to welcome challenging views can lead to smarter decisions.
Trust isn't given; it's earned through honesty, transparency and consistency. This involves you being fully transparent and authentic in your business dealings. When things go wrong (and they will), own it. Share what happened, why it happened and how all teams will move forward constructively. I've found that if mutual respect and a culture of candor with dignity are established from the outset, accountability, continual learning, and trust will be more likely to flourish.
At the end of the day, while all this might seem like common sense and easy to implement, the reality is that in the heat of battle or during the most stressful situations, some of these basic tenets of good human interaction often get left behind. Then people wonder why the outcomes aren't what they hoped. Please keep these tips in mind as you navigate your daily interactions, especially when the pressure is on, because that's when they matter most.
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