I come from a long generation of male entrepreneurs who taught me early on that who I know in business would serve me almost as well as what I know. Now, this in no way diminishes the importance of being the best at what you do. And, both male and female business owners must respect the fact that if they are not competent in what they do business will never come their way. But, relationships do matter. People do business with people they know, like, and trust.
In my father's generation (1930s-1970s), most business was conducted with as little as a handshake. Of course, contracts were negotiated and signed, and provided the details of the deal, but the business was established due to the relationship of the business people involved. The verbal contract was essential as it demonstrated the trust of the relationship that had been built.
Of course, times have changed. Every aspect of doing business today seems to require a legal document. There are contracts to get into business and contracts to get out of business. New hires are often required to sign noncompete contracts before they ever know who the competitors are. Customers are asked to sign the bottom line as if their signature were a guarantee of commitment. The truth is business still requires people to enter into an agreement built on a relationship of trust. No legal document can instill respect and trust if it has not been developed in the course of the business dealings.
Relationships today can be fostered on sites such as FACEBOOK and LinkedIn, particularly when the connections are made through others who are better known to the participants. Because we want to believe in "a small world" we are willing to accept a referral from someone we know well and believe in "any friend of..... is a friend of mine" and then allow that relationship to develop into business.
Women have always been the consummate relationship builders - able to find the common denominator that connects them to others - particularly outside of the workplace. Today, women are, and should be, bringing these natural talents into the workplace and establishing relationships that can add to their business success. Building a relationship means taking an interest in others beyond what they can do for you. A relationship is a two-way interaction between people. Whether it's in your business or your personal life, if you focus on the relationship the know, like and trust will follow.
The handshake deal of yesteryear is not dead for business people who take the time to be genuine in their business dealings and who remember that a relationship cannot be dictated by a piece of paper.