Ever stand in line at the post office waiting to mail a package or buy stamps? At our post office there are five windows. One clerk. No hurry. Oops! Time for another break.
Would you continue doing business with them when they treat you as an interruption to their day? Of course. You have no choice. They have a monopoly. Your complaints about their service mean nothing to them. They know it takes an act of Congress to get them fired.
At the other end of the spectrum you have stores like Nordstrom’s. They have a loyal customer base. Ask any of their customers why they return, and the first thing they mention is the excellent service.
Both the post office and Nordstrom’s are involved in relationship selling. One cares. The other could care less.
So unless your company is a monopoly, you’re continually selling the relationship. Not just selling the relationship to get the business, but selling the relationship to keep the business.
But let’s look specifically at how we as salespeople sell the relationship. In past articles we talked about how people can make accurate judgments about you in one-tenth of a second. First impressions are everything.
The relationship often begins on the phone when we’re cold calling, taking an inquiry, or calling for an appointment. How do you sound? Energetic as Rachel Ray, or as sad as Eeyore? Do you know what you’re talking about or is your best response “beats me”? Does your tone say, “I appreciate your business”, or does it say “go away, you’re bothering me”?
How do you know how you sound? Listen to your customer. Unintentionally, he or she will mirror your attitude. If the customer sounds arrogant, your nose may be bent out of shape. If you’re positive, the customer will be your twin. If you’re calm and courteous, your customer will be on your side.
The next critical stage of the sales relationship may start with the handshake. Are you perceived as a wimp? Intimidating? Uncomfortable? If you’re a salesman greeting a woman executive in her office, what does it say about you hesitating, trying to decide if you should initiate the handshake or not? Many decision-makers will dismiss you because of your handshake before you get the chance to say “Hi!”
The relationship grows or withers on the first appointment based on your preparedness. Staffing consultants say that one of the primary reasons you won’t be invited back for the second interview is because you didn’t do your homework. Appointments are job interviews. Plan accordingly. During the appointment you’ll be judged by how well you listen. The kinds of questions you ask. Your concern about the customer’s goals and objectives.
The next critical stage of the sales relationship is where 80% of salespeople begin to fade. Once the sale is made, the relationship evaporates. Salespeople think that because they’ve made the sale the customer is theirs for life. Customers don’t like to be taken for granted. They’re being courted by your competitors every day.
How can the salesperson keep the relationship energized? Be the go-between between your customer and your company. Customers don’t like having to deal with three or four service people or two or three bookkeepers. Keep customers away from those in your organization who have poor people skills. Give customers your email or cell phone number to be called first if there are ever any issues. And then follow-up. Take personal responsibility for the account.
Another way to strengthen the relationship is to be a source of referrals for your customers. Connect them to members of your network. Tell your customers what you hear about them in the field. Share ideas you learn from other customers. Give value to the relationship without expecting anything in return. You’ll be repaid in ways you never expected.
Finally, do as Jeffrey Gitomer preaches in his Little Black Book of Connections about building sales relationships and keeping connected. “Staying in touch is more important and more valuable than making the initial connection. Send a weekly tip or tidbit of useful information to every customer, every week.”
It’s your decision. How much is each relationship worth to you? If you don’t invest in it, look over your shoulder. Isn’t that your competitor closing ground on you?