Sales is about convincing someone to buy something, but more fundamentally, it’s about one person reaching out to another with a genuine belief that they can help. None of us like pushy, aggressive sales tactics – they are off-putting and can actually decrease the likelihood of making the sale – or of building a long-term business relationship.
Here are three guidelines to help you develop successful relationships in business – and in life!
1. Take your foot off the gas
- Respect boundaries and emotional distance. It’s hard to be someone’s best friend, or become a virtual member of the family, in the space of a 45 minute phone call.
- Build trust slowly, and move along to the next meeting where you talk more about the benefits of working together.
- The more often you meet and give a no-pressure proposal, the more likely your chance of having a successful relationship.
2. Think of the long game
- A business relationship isn’t just about making quota for the month end, it’s about providing a service that the customer will want to return to every time they need your type of service.
- When they think of buying your widget or service, you want them to think of your name without hesitation.
- Someone may not buy now or ever, but they may refer someone, or come back to you years later.
3. No response? It’s not personal.
- No response from someone is rarely about you. People have priority projects, they get sick, get promoted or fired, have sick kids or family members that need them, they get in car accidents, and think back to the old days – they may be taking an overseas vacation!
- Call back on a regularly spaced basis, and be kind and inviting – so they will want to get back to you without feeling guilty.
- Treat every ghost lead like a yes lead and find other ways to connect with them, like on LinkedIn, or by sending them information that crosses your desk you think they’d find interesting.
If you or your company wants to improve communications
Unrivald Digital can provide you with services and tools to help you communicate effectively with staff, customers, and to those that are visiting your organization via social media, Google searches and on your website. Visit us at unrivald.digital to book a no-obligation consultation and receive a complimentary audit of your digital presence.
About the author: Blair Shunk is the founder of Unrivald Digital, and is a self-proclaimed master at emotional intelligence. He recently mastered the skill of humility (he claims to be #1 when it comes to humility) and hopes to master sincerity in the near future.
