From Conversations to Connections: Chris Marsh on Winning Business Through Relationships

In his Legacy Bench conversation, Chris Marsh reflects on why, in an increasingly digital and fast-moving business world, genuine human relationships remain the most valuable asset any organisation can build.

At the heart of Chris’s story is a career dedicated to helping businesses grow.

For more than 26 years, Chris has worked across Manchester’s thriving digital, technology, and creative sectors, supporting ambitious businesses with one of their biggest challenges, winning new business. Through his freelance business development consultancy, Agents Of, he has spent decades creating introductions, opening doors, and helping organisations build the relationships that lead to sustainable growth.

But Chris believes the landscape has changed.

Businesses today have access to more technology, more data, and more ways to communicate than ever before. Yet standing out, earning trust, and creating meaningful commercial relationships has arguably never been more challenging. Success is no longer about simply making more calls or sending more emails, it is about understanding people, creating genuine value, and building trust over time.

Throughout the conversation, Chris shares his perspective on navigating this constantly evolving environment. Rather than chasing quick wins, he believes long-term success comes from consistency, authenticity, and investing in relationships before expecting results. In a marketplace where buyers have endless choice, the businesses that genuinely care about people will always have the strongest foundation for growth.

His passion for business development has never been about selling products or services. Instead, it has always been about connecting the right people at the right time and helping ambitious businesses create opportunities they may never have discovered on their own.

Joining Legacy Bench is another opportunity to continue those conversations. Chris hopes to connect with entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders who are navigating similar challenges, while gaining fresh perspectives, building new partnerships, and continuing to learn in an ever-changing commercial world.

Looking ahead, Chris remains optimistic about the future of business. While technology will continue to transform how companies operate, he believes the importance of trust, collaboration, and meaningful conversation will only become more valuable.

His story is a reminder that opportunities rarely begin with a sales pitch.

More often, they begin with a conversation, grow through relationships, and become something much bigger than either person expected.