Building Trusted Business Relationships in the Age of AI
By Helen Wada with Ryan O’Sullivan
Business Relationships at Work. Are we valuing them enough?
In this week’s Human Wise episode, I sat down with Ryan O’Sullivan, a senior executive, business advisor, university lecturer and the author of Building B2B Relationships. With more than 25 years of experience in sales and leadership roles, Ryan has dedicated his career to understanding how relationships underpin commercial success. From his doctorate research into relationship quality to his work advising global organisations, Ryan has seen first-hand that building trust is what separates sustainable growth from short-term wins.
Ryan: “The best way to sell is not to sell. Executives don’t want someone pitching at them. They want someone who understands their business, their problems and is there to help them achieve opportunities or mitigate risks.”
Why Being Human Still Wins
So much of today’s business world is dominated by efficiency, automation and speed. Yet Ryan reminded me that the heart of strong business relationships is empathy. The ability to see the world through another person’s perspective changes the nature of the conversation. It moves us beyond transactions into meaningful partnerships. For me, this is exactly what it means to be human at work — creating space to connect with people as people, not just roles or titles.
Ryan: “The one thing you can do is put yourself in the other person’s shoes… if you think about any situation from their perspective, it helps you to relate better to them.”
Helen: “It’s not just about getting into their shoes, but also their heads, understanding what’s going on for them as an individual.”
Rethinking the Salesperson Stereotype
When many of us think about sales, we picture the extroverted, slick and overly confident professional. But Ryan’s research shows this stereotype is not what clients value. Instead, the qualities that create trust — humility, curiosity, and even a willingness to admit you don’t have all the answers — are far more powerful. This flips the traditional sales image on its head and highlights the importance of showing up as your authentic self.
Ryan: “Introverts, or people who have more questions than answers, often build stronger trust. Showing you don’t know everything creates openness and credibility.”
Emotional Investment Builds Trust
Beyond personality traits, Ryan’s work revealed that genuine emotional investment makes the difference in long-term partnerships. Clients are not just looking for suppliers or vendors, they want collaborators who care deeply about the outcome. This isn’t about overstepping professional boundaries, but about showing that their success matters to you on a human level. That emotional commitment is what often turns a service provider into a trusted partner.
Ryan: “An executive once told me that the best vendor he ever worked with looked visibly disappointed when things weren’t going right. He could see how much that person cared, more even than his own team.”
Internal Collaboration is Key
While much of the conversation focused on external client relationships, Ryan was clear that internal collaboration is just as important. In fact, many organisations leave revenue on the table because their own teams don’t work effectively across service lines. Breaking down silos, building stronger partnerships internally and collaborating with external alliances is what unlocks real growth. In today’s complex world, no single service line or organisation can provide all the answers — collaboration is the differentiator.
Ryan: “Smarter collaboration leads to exponential growth. Yet firms have heard this for over a decade and still struggle to act on it.”
Helen: “It reminds us that relationships inside our organisations are as vital as those with our potential customers and clients. No one can solve problems alone.”
The Human Edge in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence has transformed how we access information. Research that once gave you an advantage can now be done in minutes by anyone. Ryan was clear: this shift means that the differentiator today is not knowledge, but conversation. Building trust through authentic dialogue, curiosity and connection is where the real value lies. AI may flatten the playing field, but it cannot replicate the courage and energy it takes to engage another human meaningfully.
Ryan: “Before, differentiation came from research. Now everyone can get that in 20 minutes with AI. The differentiator today is conversations, the coffee chats, the trust you build through human connection.”
Three Steps to Build Relationships That Last
Ryan’s research uncovered a crucial phase he calls “mutual disclosure”. This is the point where strangers begin to consider investing in a relationship. He found three consistent factors that shape this process:
Don’t Sell: Avoid being pushy or transactional.
Understand Personalities: Know your own style and adapt to the person you are engaging with.
Offer Real Insight: Share something meaningful that demonstrates genuine preparation and understanding.
Ryan: “Combine these three and people think, ‘This person is worth investing in.’ That’s the first step to trust.”
Relationship Capital. Your Hidden Asset
Finally, Ryan and I explored the concept of relationship capital — the long-term value of your network. This capital is built when relationships are two-way, when you offer help without expectation and when you invest in staying connected. It is often this quiet, steady investment that leads to unexpected opportunities down the line. For me, this captures the essence of being human at work — building trust over time, one conversation at a time.
Helen: “Relationships are a two way street. Ask yourself, who can I help today in a way that builds trust without costing much?”
Ryan: “Sometimes you don’t know where relationships will go. You invest in them, and beautiful things happen. I’ve had board invitations, investments and opportunities all come from casual catch ups.”
Final Thoughts
As AI continues to automate knowledge, it is our humanity that will set us apart. Trusted business relationships are not built through slick presentations, but through empathy, curiosity and emotional investment. The leaders who embrace this will not only unlock commercial growth but also create workplaces where people genuinely thrive.
Ryan: “My philosophy of life is relationship first. That’s how business gets done.”
For a deeper dive into our conversation, listen to the full Human Wise episode with Ryan O’Sullivan, or connect with us on LinkedIn.
Human Wise releases new episodes weekly, redefining what it means to be truly human at work.
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