Short YouTube transcript (excerpt) in which Lauren Bateman advises approaching business relationships by focusing first on helping others. She recommends asking how you can help, offering concrete assistance (even free) to demonstrate seriousness, and invokes the "law of reciprocity" as a rationale for why helping attracts reciprocal support and opens doors.
I think when you're trying to think strategically about business relationships or relationships in general, is to go into it not thinking what you want to get out of it. If you go into a relationship giving and trying to help the other person, you're coming at it from a much better angle, like, how can I help this person be successful? Because there's something called the law of reciprocity. If you help people, they are more inclined to help you back. If you want to build a relationship with someone, ask them how you can help, or tell them how you can help them and do it for free. Do it for free to prove to them that you actually are serious about helping them. And that has helped me get in with some people as well. Just being, hey, how can I help you? This is what I'm willing to do for you. Let's work together.
