A study into the relationship between investors and entrepreneurs by the Innovation Hub found that start-ups want \u2018personal chemistry and trust above all other considerations when weighing up potential investors.\u2019 Scientific proof it seems that people want to do business with those they like, know and trust.<\/p>\n
Recently, on the latest series of my Events That Made Me<\/em> podcast<\/a>, I spoke with the inexorable PA, Sarah Jane Heath. The former management assistant of Take That and latterly, personal PA to Howard Donald and Mark Owen. She described to me, how it was a chance meeting, fuelled by a mutual chemistry that led her to that role \u2013 one that would see her travel the world and experience so many amazing things. If she hadn\u2019t felt such an instant connection with someone who worked for Mark Owen, who she described as her \u2018instant best friend\u2019, would her life have ever taken such an extraordinary pathway? Who knows? But she will certainly say that chemistry played its part.<\/p>\n Having recently celebrated Valentine\u2019s Day and noting the importance we put on chemistry in our personal lives, I\u2019m always left to wonder why people don\u2019t follow the same rule in business. Perhaps because chemistry is immeasurable, inexplicable even. It\u2019s difficult to align a feeling against a monetary goal or KPI. Yet for me, it\u2019s everything!<\/p>\n Over the past thirty years I\u2019ve worked with many different people. From huge organisations and to celebrities and private clients who prefer to stay that way. Some relationships thrived. Others fell by the wayside. The difference was chemistry.<\/p>\n I have turned down what could have been extremely lucrative endeavours because the chemistry simply wasn\u2019t there. If I can\u2019t envisage working with a person for the long term, I simply don\u2019t. For me, the litmus test for starting a new business relationship, should always be whether you feel you can work with the person or team that\u2019s putting your event together. Ironically there\u2019s no scientific formula for how to measure this. It\u2019s all about the feeling. You don\u2019t have to socialise with them. You don\u2019t even have to like them personally (although it helps), but a mutually respectful professional relationship is essential.<\/p>\n Of the many things coronavirus has taken from our industry, one of the hardest things I\u2019ve found to navigate is the lack of face-to-face interaction. As a businesswoman I have always relied heavily on gut instinct. When I embark on a new venture, chemistry plays a huge part in the people I want to take on the journey with me. Be they clients, partners, suppliers or staff. The chemistry has to be right. And that is why during the pandemic, I\u2019ve found the lack of interaction difficult. Not just because I\u2019m a sociable person but because chemistry is something very difficult to gauge via video call.<\/p>\n For event planners there is chemistry in every part of our working process, not just in people but in the places too. Anyone who has got married or planned a big event knows the importance of \u2018the feeling\u2019. That experience of walking into a venue and instantly knowing that this is the one. A virtual tour, no matter how sophisticated, simply doesn\u2019t have the same impact for me. I like to touch, smell, feel and experience a venue on every level. It\u2019s the best way for me to envisage how the event will take shape.<\/p>\n And what about the relationship between venue owner and event planner. Surely chemistry should play its part there too. In handing your venue over to somebody \u2013 there has to be an element of trust. Trust that there will be a mutual respect, that as an event planner you will treat the venue with the same care that you would your own home. The chemistry of this is crucial to building a long-term relationship that benefits both parties. The UK has so many amazing venues \u2013 I do have my favourites and that\u2019s usually less to do with the bricks and mortar and more to do with the owner.<\/p>\n In terms of the suppliers I use, again chemistry plays a huge part. I\u2019m lucky enough now to have a network of suppliers that would go above and beyond for me if needed, but when starting out and building those relationships I like to meet each and every one in person to see if we click.<\/p>\n Now in my role as a consultant, there are even more reasons why chemistry is important in business. My clients are buying into me. Liz Taylor the person, Liz Taylor the ideas, Liz Taylor the brand. There would be no point in asking somebody to invest their confidence and time into me if the connection, understanding and respect weren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n So, there are many reasons why chemistry is important in business but for me the overriding one is that business (and life) is about personal choice and happiness. If a relationship is lacking chemistry, eventually it will dwindle, so why give your energy to something that won\u2019t reward your hard work. Far better to follow the personal connections that light you up, that spark your imagination and make want to leap out of bed in the morning ready to start another day. Follow the chemistry and you won\u2019t go far wrong.<\/p>\n This article from Steve Tobak, \u201c5 Ways Chemistry Leads to Business Success\u201d, is worth considering. He raises the point that chemistry in business could be more about effect than cause: 5 Ways Chemistry Leads to Business Success – CBS News<\/a><\/p>\n Can you create chemistry in your team? Imagine if you had more insight into what makes people tick, how some interactions unlock potential while others hinder it. Suppose you had a way to gain people\u2019s trust, influence them, motivate them, and get the very most out of your work relationships. Authors Kim Christfort and Suzanne Vickburg believe you can, in their book, \u201cBusiness Chemistry: Practical Magic for Crafting Powerful Work Relationships\u201d.\u00a0 Take a look: Business Chemistry: Practical Magic for Crafting Powerful Work Relationships: Amazon.co.uk: Christfort, Kim, Vickberg, Suzanne: 9781119501565: Books<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019ve always trusted my gut instinct. I believe when you meet someone there is either a connection or not. It\u2019s the chemistry between you that is the foundation of trust; the building block for a relationship. We\u2019re not talking sexual chemistry here \u2013 more that feeling you get that screams \u2013 I can work with this person. They get me.\u00a0 … <\/p>\n![\"Why](\"https:\/\/www.liz-taylor-consulting.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/SJH1-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWHAT HAPPENS IF THE CHEMISTRY ISN\u2019T THERE?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
WHY IS CHEMISTRY IMPORTANT IN THE EVENTS INDUSTRY?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
FOLLOW THE CHEMISTRY<\/strong><\/h4>\n
TO READ: <\/strong><\/h4>\n