I would argue that relationships are the most valuable asset any organization has, so how come so few of us build our business around taking care of relationships?
Great relationships will lead to success so we have to build in processes at every step to ensure we are building strong and lasting relationships. I am not talking about after you get the deal and have to manage the relationship, that’s what everyone does or at least attempts to do…I am talking about much more than that – I am talking about starting to build a relationship from the first interaction and every interaction thereafter. Most organizations don’t do that well. Most salespeople don’t do this well.
Building relationships is another process and you have to work on it like everything else. It really is the golden goose that will hatch lots of golden eggs! So from the first email, the way you handle inbound calls, your sales process, when you get the client, when you don’t get the client….always think about the relationship and how to protect and make it stronger. It’s a marathon guys….and the tortoise always beats the hare over the long run.
Go forth and build some relationships and prosper.
Brick
brick – spot on – can you give some examples of how you do this? how you set yourself apart?
Sure, I have been doing something very simple for years that no one does. I look at each account as a project and expect to earn their business…sometimes its one call, other times its 3 years…doesnt matter. I still approach them the same way and make the relationship paramount. We can’t always control the timing for many reasons but we can control our behavior. I am not a big fan of pressure and all that garbage…Of course I am in favor of of ABC but in a natural way, again, with an eye on the relationship. If you kill the relationship you never get another chance. If you don’t and you have something of value your time will come if you are methodical. Build the relationship and you will win more business and you will sell more to the same client. It’s a way of being as opposed to another tactic. Does that help? I have a very special story that illustrates this beautifully that I will post.
cool thx – look fwd to hearing your story. btw you gotta post something abt the harvard boys handing out the biz cards from the previous meeting that is one of the all time classics
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I like your post because it is one of the few I found that talks about building relationships with business partners, coworkers, and other people that are not a significant other. This idea to start relationships from the second we form a connection is a great way to be successful in business- and the fact that many people do not correlates directly with their relationship- building. It is a marathon, and I agree that you only need to make your relationships stronger! Thanks for your insight.
Alanna
Alanna, thank you for your feedback…how did you find me by the way?