In relationship selling developing trust and credibility is paramount. You are building a relationship with a specific purpose in mind. People buy from those that they know, like and trust. It is possible to borrow credibility from you company or mentor but you need to develop your own as you build the relationship. Borrowing credibility will get you in the door but ensuing meetings are on you.

You are looking for a win-win situation. Both parties need to be happy and feel that they benefit from the relationship. As in any relationship there is give and take on both sides.

Even in that first meeting, you should view your prospect as a long term customer. This is the beginning of an ongoing process. Follow through is where most drop the ball.

My relationship with my naturopath comes to mind. At myfirst appointment with her; she went out of her way to make a good first impression. She was confident, smiling, shook hands. She was both professional and upbeat at the same time. She took her time and made sure that all my questions were answered. She gave me the gift of her time. This required effort on her part. She gave more than was expected. In stark contrast would be a visit to a GPs office where there is a sign reminding us that you are allowed only one question per visit!

When you give first and enjoy the process it shines through. You can tell she is comfortable with the process and enjoys answering questions. She was engaged, really wanting to know what was going on with me.

When you show a level of interest, are compassionate your potential customer or existing client will pick up on that and respond positively.

The only way to truly understand your customer and their needs is to ask questions; lots of questions. You can’t find out their needs or problems and offer them a solution without doing this. This is a process and it should never be rushed. Your gift to them is the time and effort you put in. You want to exchange dialog with your client. When they answer they hear themselves give voice to their needs. Then your solution is the natural answer.

It’s basic human nature to reach out and touch someone with your communication skills. We are not just a web-site; there is nothing like the human touch. We want to interact at that human level.

If you keep in mind what you would want if you were the customer and how you would like to be treated will go a long way toward providing a positive experience for your customer. In a day and age where we are bombarded with pushy sales it is a relief to talk to someone that is on our side; understands us as a whole person not just someone with one problem. We all have unique feelings, challenges, fears, disappointments, joys.

We just want to be heard and affirmed. Customers [clients] [prospects] will keep coming back. They will return for that special customer experience that you provide. You will have highly responsive clients [prospects]. You will close on sales much more often. Sales follow up will be a piece of cake! Repeat business will develop. And you will get referrals! Referrals are the best kind of business to develop.

 

In conclusion, relationship selling is more about the relationship than the selling. The sale is a natural result.