With that being established, here are some tips for building strong sales relationships that will help your business grow.
Connect: The first thing to remember when establishing business relationships is that they may not come to you. You may have to go out and find them.
Going to conferences and trade shows can be a great way to connect with potential customers and clients and forge B2B relationships. You can also use social media to post engaging content that will draw in a customer or client base.
Stay in Touch: Now that you have made a connection, you need to keep the conversation going. Depending on the nature of the relationship, you may want to send your contacts emails every so often to see how they are doing. When doing so, be sure to update them on any new products or features your company may be offering.
And while its important to stay in touch with new connections, its also critical to keep the conversation going with existing clients. Follow them on social media and be sure to congratulate them on their successes while letting them know about your company’s new developments.
Listen: When engaging in a conversation with a customer or client, be sure to listen to what they are saying. It is likely they will give you valuable information that can help you to improve your products and services. Be sure to ask questions to get the information you need and to let them know that what they are saying is valuable.
Ask for Feedback: If you’re not hearing what you think you need to hear in order to make improvements and provide customers with what they want, ask for feedback. People love to have their opinions heard and you will also be enlightened on what steps you need to take to move forward.
Respond Promptly: A delayed response can be viewed as rude and may make a client think they are not your top priority. Be sure to respond to every inquiry promptly to keep your customers satisfied and to assure them that they are always number one.
Be Valuable: Clients will see you as an asset if you can add value to the relationship. You can do this by providing solutions and ideas early on. If you find blogs or social media that you think your clients may be interested in, send them links. This type of out of the box thinking is likely to pay off in the long run.
Promote the Development of Meaningful Relationships Throughout your Company: Be sure your sales reps know that it is better to develop meaningful relationships rather than to act as pushy salespeople. Lead by example by developing meaningful relationships within your company.
Be Honest: Sales pitches often come off as insincere and people are turned off by the feeling of insincerity. Rather than trying to come off as overly salesy, do your best to showcase your products and services with honesty. If they are good products, this should be all you need to make your items sell.
Be Easy to Work With: Try to be flexible so that scheduling meetings with your clients and customers won’t be a hassle. Be available to address any questions or concerns they may have.
Be Patient: It may take a while before a relationship leads to a sale. It may take time to nurture a relationship before you reap the benefits of your efforts. However, its important not to push clients as that might scare them away. Rather, take the time to let them grow. Hopefully they will pay off in the long run.
Face it, the overly salesy approach is hackneyed and done. Instead of going that route, do your best to develop bonds naturally and see where they go. It is more than likely that they will pay off resulting in fruitful business relationships that can be profitable and enjoyable for everyone involved.