Have a Relationship

You sell garage additions in your customer's homes. You visit your prospects, get to know them, eventually work up a price, and close the deal. Is your hour-long appointment long enough to be considered a "relationship?"

You sell jewelry, selling primarily engagement and wedding rings. Your prospects spend a few minutes or a couple hours in your store talking with you about their needs and your products. Is this long enough to be considered a "relationship?"

You have a prospect who wants to roll-over his 401(k) into an IRA after leaving his job and becoming self-employed. You talk on the phone for 45 minutes. Does this prospect constitute a "relationship?"

Relationships are important in selling, whether they're ongoing year-after-year relationships, or they're brief encounters like the examples above. Even brief relationships can be strengthened if you do three things:

1. Focus on the prospect. Relationships require a human element.

2. Look for opportunities for relationships, not merely transactions. Sometimes, prospects are open to relationships with you. Keep your eyes open!

3. Look for opportunities to have ongoing contact. Even if you sell shoes at retail, there are opportunities to create long-term impact in a customer's life. Doesn't every customer need a long-term "shoe expert," just like they need an accountant or attorney? Become their shoe expert!

Have relationships with your customer, even if your selling interactions are brief ones.

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Comments

[Sales Management 2.0]

Skip, great advice for sales people and sales managers alike. The key to successful sales or sales leadership comes down to our ability to be charismatic, understand people, and find what motivates them.

-Brad

[Jim Klein]

A relationship is an emotional connection between people. What better way to begin, than to develop a deep level of rapport and trust between you and the customer.

Many sales people skip over or spend little time building rapport. They want to get to the sale and make some money, which is not what you stress in #1, focus on the prospect.

By showing a genuine interest in the prospect you increase your chances of developing a relationship which will lead to repeat and referral business and income for the sales person for years to come.

Jim Klein
www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com