Relationship Selling- Are You In It For The Long Haul?
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“Sales” can be a provocative word. I’ll admit, I always get a little nervous when I meet a fellow salesperson for fear of hearing their sales pitch 5 minutes into the first conversation we have together. And as sympathetic as I am to another sales professional, I don’t like it. When I first meet someone I want to know that they’re interested in me as a person. If I like them and we mesh, I’ll be highly interested in what they do and will eventually find ways to make business work with them.
I really believe this type of “relationship selling” is what works in today’s sea of businesses and sales people. And getting people to buy into what you’re selling actually requires that they buy into you first. That doesn’t mean you become friends with every prospect of every customer you acquire… but are you at least willing to be? And if not friends are you at least willing to enter into a mutually beneficial relationship with your customers? If so, you could change your focus from one time account acquisitions into strategic relationships that benefit you AND your customers for a very long time. The problem is it takes time, discipline, and like any relationship, will demand more of you than you may be comfortable with at times.
So here’s some food for thought:
When you meet a potential customer, make a new contact, make a cold call… what is your thought process?
Are you willing to be in this relationship for the long haul? Even in the prospecting mode, if you’re not thinking long term then why bring them on as a customer? If they strike you as problematic now, what is it going to be like later when they’re a customer of yours? Do they sell something you would want to buy as well?
Do you have the guts to hear an immediate “No” but be patient enough to cultivate the contact and build a business relationship that will work when the time is right?
Do you treat customers and prospects like people first or do you just see dollar signs above their heads when you meet or hear cash registers when the phone rings?
Thinking long term is tough because as sales people we have to hit a deadline or a quota and the end of the month doesn’t wait until everything is ready for your prospect. But creating an environment that makes a customer want to buy is far more important than pressuring someone to meet your timeline.
-jaq baldwin
Speaking of relationships… I like you to check out some links to a few of my friends. You’ll be very glad you did!
Taryn Pisaneschi is a Twitter superstar, (relationship) marketing gal, public speaker and lives right here in Atlanta, GA. I always get great ideas from her.
Jim Keenan is the author of the blog A Sales Guy. As a fellow salesprofessional, I’ve really enjoyed his blog along with Keenan’s tweets.
Chris Jordan is another good friend from the Atlanta area. I follow his blog as well as Chris’ twitterfeed and get some great sales and digital marketing ideas from him. I think you’ll love reading his insights as well.
As always I’d love for you to come visit me at BroadRiver Communication and maybe even take a tour of our data center!
Category: Sales
You’re last sentence could have been the entire post! Well said.
I can relate to this subject matter a ton. As an actress, when you go in for the BIG agent meeting. I have found, being sincere and showing it’s not all about you and work. Mean a great deal. If they “like” you as a person, they’ll LOVE you as a client. Really, anytime I network I try hard to put the present, authentic conversation first, my career second.
Well said Jaq!
Jaq, Thanks for the mention and I couldn’t agree more. Sales people should be focusing on their customer’s needs and when they want/need to buy, rather than focusing on their own product and deadline. Better results will always be achieved when the relationship comes before the product.