10 Steps for Building Trust and Relationships When Going Global

As more and more associations grow internationally, regardless of where they are incorporated or headquartered, so too do the expectations and scrutiny by boards and senior leadership for quick membership growth, financial returns, and tangible programmatic results. This is particularly acute for U.S.-based associations, where there is often a focus first and foremost on transactions and revenue generation before relationship building. However, in much of the rest of the world, relationships based on mutual respect, reciprocity, and trust outplay transactions. Relationships need to be solidly in place before potential partners (whether components and chapters, vendors and corporate customers, or affinity associations) get down to any association business.