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Does relationship selling really take longer?
Not if you know how to step around the potholes and look for ways to accelerate client relationships. And no, it does not mean countless face-to-face meetings...
There are some people who always seem to be in more than one place at any given time. Not physically, obviously. But spiritually. Certain people just have a way of walking out of a room and leaving their presence behind.
Jane was one such person.
Her colleagues would often say things such as, “What would Jane do in this situation?” Or, “What did Jane say about this again?”
Intrigued, I finally asked her how she managed to make such an impact on so many lives.
“I’m managing the memory effect,” she replied.
I pushed her to explain.
“What were you doing on July 13, 1972?” she asked me. I thought about it. I was in grade 12 and it was the summer. So I was probably on the golf course, but beyond that, I had no idea.
“Now imagine I gave you a Polaroid photo from that day. Do you think you’d remember more?”
Of course. If I looked at that photo I was sure sounds, sights and smells would come back to me in an instant.
It turned out the reason Jane was so successful in sales was her ability to show clients and colleagues the proverbial Polaroid to keep herself and her ideas top of mind.
“The typical salesperson has a great meeting with a client. They get that client interested and excited about their product or service. Then they go back to the office and send out an order form or a brochure – but nothing they do recreates the energy of the meeting,” she said.
Jane’s secret to success hinged on ensuring the client felt she was with him or her before, during and after their meeting. For example, by creating a documented agenda and asking the client to collaborate on what they want to accomplish in their first meeting, she is able to get a good sense of what they need before even sitting down at the table.
“They give me direction and co-own the meeting,” she said. “They are actually helping me identify what are appropriate objectives and closes for that meeting. In fact, part of my agenda is called Next Steps.”
Jane has discovered a major truth in selling successfully. The best salespeople are those who encourage their clients to become engaged in the selling process – actually becoming a partner in finding solutions to the company’s challenges. But if Jane has unearthed a key certainty for successful sales, there are also a couple of myths to be debunked as well.
Myth: Relationship Selling Takes Longer
The first myth about relationship selling is that the salesperson must create a strong personal relationship with the client. In effect, they are assuming (often wrongly) that their clients are looking for a new best friend. But most clients today are too busy to engage in that class of relationship. Developing a business relationship first and a personal relationship second simply makes more sense.
In fact relationship selling is quite expeditious if your goal is to create an impression of a relationship. How? Jane is constantly in her clients’ faces, reminding them of her existence and why she alone can give them the solutions they’re looking for.
And this is where the Polaroid comes in. Within three to five days after her meetings, Jane sends a high-impact summary letter to outline exactly what took place during the meeting, why the discussion was so important to the company and what the outcome was. She treats herself like a multimedia event, with follow-up voicemail, e-mail and faxes. She gives her clients the feeling that she has always been in their working lives. And it works.
No more tickets to ball games for the client’s family – bribery that may or may not sway the client to give you the next order. No more endless meetings shooting down the clients’ reservations in hope for a sale. Instead, straightforward, focused and efficient meetings are built on solving business problems.
Myth: The Sale Depends on the Close
Jane also shattered another myth – that sales are strongly dependent on closing. By sending her documented agenda first, Jane sets the tone for the meeting and even includes a section stating how long the meeting will last. By taking the initiative, she is up front about how the meeting will close.
Focusing too much energy on closing a sale, however, automatically implies that the salesperson and client are in an adversarial relationship. Even more, it reduces the client to a passive player, someone who must have their objections shot down one by one.
It also puts all of the pressure on the last part of the meeting. So what happens to that meeting when you’re suddenly faced with an abrupt close due to, say, the client being called away suddenly? Is all that work for nothing? By using an accelerated relationship model, the first part of the meeting is nearly as important as the last. And the last part of the meeting isn’t even really the last part – if you consider the impact of the follow-up sales letter.
By concentrating most of your energy and time on business dialogue and empathy – with an enthusiasm for solutions – the client and sales professional are building those solutions together minute by minute. Thus each minute is as important as the one after it.
“In the end they have an appetite to buy, not a willingness for me to sell,” Jane said, simply.
Does relationship selling take longer? It does if you’re unsure exactly what parameters that relationship should have. But by setting out to be indispensable with solutions and creative thinking – becoming a crucial part of your client’s team – it will be you they’ll be talking about after you’ve left the room.
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