In the corporate world, you sometimes say something you don't mean or make a bad business move. At the time, it probably seemed necessary or even advantageous, but in doing so, you may have burned bridges. Maintaining good business relationships is necessary for any type of business, big or small. If you've realized you've hurt your relationship with another business, steps can be taken to reconcile and rebuild a business relationship to set things right and continue with fruitful relationships for both parties.
Step 1
Write a letter of apology to the party that you've offended. In that letter, sincerely apologize for the damage that you've done and ask if your business relationship can resume. Research completed by Roy Lewicki, co-author of the study and professor of management and human resources at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, found that an apology is the most effective way to repair a damaged business relationship. In apologizing, you are extending the olive branch to that business or person, letting them know you are taking the first step toward reconciliation.
Step 2
Take responsibility for your actions; never justify the actions you took that damaged the relationship in the first place. Whether it was a bad business move that cost the other party to lose money, or you showed alliance to another party, take full responsibility and understand it was not their fault that the business relationship was damaged.
Step 3
Be sincere; don't just apologize and try to rebuild the relationship because it would benefit you and your business. Recognize that always having good business relationships benefits your business. Apologize and take responsibility because it is the right thing to do and you want to maintain a good reputation.
Step 4
Show confidence in your business relationship by resuming business as usual with the party or business. This puts your apology into action by showing that you are willing to put the past behind you and start again.
Step 5
Avoid forcing the issue. If you've apologized to the person or business and taken responsibility for hurting the relationship, and it still seems like the relationship is damaged, step back and wait. Don't do further damage by forcing them to forgive you. Rebuilding a business relationship, especially after a large grievance, may be a time-consuming task.
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