TIPS FOR ENHANCED RELATIONSHIP SELLING AND INCREASED SALES CLOSURES
BY HEIDI MCIVOR ALLEN
In times of economic uncertainty, selling has become more challenging due to tighter budgets. What used to resemble a leisurely golf game or a dinner discussion in a sales pitch now demands a more focused and efficient approach to close deals, without relying on traditional relationship-building activities. The good news is that effective relationship selling doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.
WHAT IS RELATIONSHIP SELLING?
BEST PRACTICES FOR RELATIONSHIP SELLING
BUILD RAPPORT
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INCLUDE CUSTOM PERSONALIZATION
In the realm of relationship-building, in-depth personalization holds significant importance, as indicated by 71% of consumers. This personalization is a crucial factor, as when prospects perceive an experience lacking in personal touch, they may hesitate to invest in high-value products. It’s essential to make them feel like they are not merely part of a transaction, but integral to a mutually beneficial and meaningful relationship.
This is why it’s advisable to avoid transactional selling, which tends to be swift and lacks personalization, making it less favored in most B2B organizations. Transactional selling is effective for low-cost, standardized products where it’s not practical for the sales rep to invest time in understanding their buyers. Industries like clothing and automobiles often employ transactional selling.
On the contrary, relationship selling is better suited for businesses with extended sales cycles, where prospects require multiple interactions before reaching a purchase decision. While it shines in high-cost or customized solution scenarios, it’s versatile and applicable in various other situations as well.
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CHECK IT OFTEN
Similar to maintaining friendships outside of the workplace, regular check-ins play a pivotal role in nurturing relationships. Keeping in touch with both prospective and past customers ensures that you remain at the forefront of their thoughts when they consider making a purchase or recommending your product.
The art of follow-up involves adjusting the frequency of your communication as needed. When reaching out to customers, it’s essential to do so in a manner that fosters a deeper relationship. Inquire about their current life events and share updates from your side. Establishing this human connection will pave the way for more effective communication in the future. For instance, your prospect may become comfortable sharing their cell number, guaranteeing that your check-ins never get lost in the depths of an email inbox again.
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BE PROACTIVE
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DO YOUR RESEARCH
SIX EXAMPLES OF IMPACTFUL RELATIONSHIP SELLING
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PROVIDE VALUE AND INSIGHT IN EVERY EMAIL AND PHONE CALL
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LEARN ABOUT YOUR PROSPECT’S CHALLENGES, OBJECTIVES, AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS
- Can your product address the prospect's needs?
- Do they possess the necessary authority, budget, and suitable timeline to make a purchase?
These two inquiries form the foundation of sales qualification. Beyond ensuring that the prospect is a suitable match, it helps in gauging whether a mutually beneficial relationship can be established.
Avoid pressuring individuals who aren’t an ideal fit into making a purchase. While you might succeed in convincing them, remember that relationship selling is geared toward long-term partnerships. If customers discover they’ve been misled, they’ll likely be dissatisfied, leading to cancellations, returns, and a lack of positive reviews, referrals, upgrades, and cross-sales.
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GIVE ADVICE THAT’S TAILORED TO THEIR BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
Utilize your newfound understanding of the buyer in conjunction with your subject-matter expertise to provide tailored suggestions. For example, you could impose a strategy designed to address one of their primary pain points (coincidentally aligned with your product). To reinforce your recommendations, share real-world cases of customers who faced similar situations. As an illustration, you might say,
“Customer Y, another company with around [number] of employees in [X space], was facing a similar problem. I advised them to do [such and such]. In [period of time], they saw [quantified results].”
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SOLVE FOR AND EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR PROSPECT’S OBJECTIONS
Identifying and addressing your prospect’s obstacles is an essential aspect of any sales process, but relationship selling demands a tactful approach. Avoid overpowering your clients, as this can lead to resistance. Instead, allow them the time to express their concerns and exercise patience. Most importantly, respond with honesty. If they have legitimate concerns, acknowledge them rather than brushing them aside. Your transparency will provide more reassurance than a superficial response and will withstand scrutiny once they experience the product.
To uncover the buyer’s apprehensions, pose questions such as:
“Is there anything that’s preventing you from making a purchase?”
“What specific concerns do you have?”
“Are there any aspects of the product you wish were different?”
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FIND A WIN-WIN SOLUTION TO THE PROSPECT’S OBJECTIONS
Many salespeople approach negotiations as a zero-sum game, where one side’s gain is perceived as the other’s loss. This mindset breaks trust and encourages your negotiation partner to adopt a self-centered stance. Moreover, if they leave the negotiation feeling exploited, it spells trouble for your long-term relationship.
The solution lies in viewing a win for your prospect as a win for you both. Together, the goal is to find the best possible outcome. To effectively address the prospect’s objections, come prepared with several concessions you’re willing to offer, such as additional implementation assistance, improved payment terms, 24/7 support availability, and more. Proactively presenting these compromises demonstrates your alignment with the prospect’s interests and increases the likelihood of them reciprocating with concessions of their own.
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KEEP PROVIDING VALUE AFTER THE CLOSED-WON DEAL
- Sharing relevant resources like e-books, articles, podcasts, or other content.
- Inviting them to company events.
- Featuring them in a LinkedIn Pulse article or blog post.
- Checking in to see how they're enjoying the product and if they have any questions or concerns.
- Sending congratulatory messages on recent achievements, both personal and professional.
- Extending holiday greetings.
- Hosting them for dinner or an enjoyable outing.
- Scheduling periodic account reviews (yearly, biannual, or quarterly).
- Providing tickets to local performances.
- Inviting them to tour your office.
- Facilitating a meeting between their executives and yours.
INCORPORATE RELATIONSHIP SELLING INTO YOUR SALES PROCESS
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BE HONEST WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS AT ALL TIMES
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CONSISTENTLY CHECK IN WITH YOUR CONTACTS & CUSTOMERS
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EXCEED YOUR CONTACT'S EXPECTATIONS
To earn someone’s loyalty, go above and beyond their expectations. For instance, if you promised your contact tickets to your annual industry event, exceed those expectations by also arranging a private meet-and-greet with a speaker they admire.
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FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR COMMITMENTS
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PROVIDE EXCLUSIVE PERKS
EMBRACING RELATIONSHIP SELLING FOR SUPERIOR RESULTS
HOW MCIVOR MARKETING CAN HELP ENHANCE RELATIONSHIP SELLING AND INCREASE SALES CLOSURES
McIvor Marketing understands the pivotal role of relationship selling in today’s competitive landscape. Our tailored strategies and expertise empower businesses to not only make successful sales, but further foster long-lasting relationships with their customers. With our support, you can harness the power of effective relationship selling, resulting in increased sales closures, enhanced customer loyalty, and sustained business growth. Let’s embark on this journey together to unlock the full potential of your sales endeavors.
Contact us today to learn how we can help!
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