Ask anybody and they will tell you that the ability to build relationships with key decision makers is a critical sales skill. Regretably, sellers hide behind this concept more than any other to disguise the fact that they are either wasting time or have no idea how to move a sale forward.
More time is wasted in the alleged pursuit of "building relationships" than any other sales step.
"Why are we making this sales call, Bill?"
"We're going to find out a little about their needs for next year and take the time to build the relationship a little."
"Certainly, there's value in building the relationship. Can you describe for me how we are going to do that on this call?"
"I thought we would spend some time talking about his family and invite him to play some golf with us."
"And this will build a relationship with him?"
"Well, it's a start. I mean, in order to build a relationship we are going to have to spend quite a bit of time with him and get to know him."
"What if we spend all this time building a relationship with him and it turns out he doesn't like either one of us? What if he likes us but doesn't really want to do business with us? In what way can we be assured that building a relationship with this guy is going to make a difference to our company?"
Don't get me wrong. It's true that people do business with people they like. When everything is equal, a buyer is going to buy from someone that has established themselves as a trusted resource.
To me, the relationship that you want to be building is one that indicates that "everything" is not equal and there is no need for a tie breaker. The way to do that? Establish a value for your product that exceeds the value the prospect assigns to your competition. I guarantee that this will trump the occasional golf game or tickets to Seinfeld.
To establish a value for your products you must start doing business with a prospect as soon in the relationship as possible. This has multiple advantages:
1) The relationship that you are building is focused from the beginning on the business that you do together. Relationships built on this foundation are stronger and more long lasting. (This may seem counterintuitive until you consider that companies almost always do business with your customers long after you leave the company)
2) You always have a reason to call or get together and build the relationship because of the business you do together. Who wants to keep getting calls from strangers asking them to get together for drinks or lunch or the ball game?
3) The business you do together automatically gives you permission to build relationships throughout the organization. If you didn't do business, the only relationship you would be working on would be the one with the key decision maker. Sounds okay until the key decision maker is transferred and the junior executive, whom you have never met, becomes the key decision maker.
While it's not always possible to do business right away, it often is. Find something small that you can do together that won't require sixteen proposals and four meetings in the executive boardroom. Still not possible? Maybe you are committed to a charity and you can find a way for your prospect to get involved. They could use the project as a way to put their company in a favorable light while you use it to start the critical relationship building.
Worst case scenario? You become a customer of the prospect in some small way.
By all means, let's build relationships with all of our best prospects and let's keep in mind that the reason we want the relationship in the first place is because we want to do business!
3 comments:
Tim,
You have made a strong point and I wholeheartedly agree. I would like to add one small suggestion to enhance it. Every time you call the modern day prospect, keep in mind that they are over worked and have little time to be social. Deliver value to them. Share insight and industry knowledge. Give them things they can use. This will make them not only like you, but look to you for advice. If they trust your advice, they will trust what you are selling. After all, why would some one they trust be selling it if it was not going to add value.
Tim,
Great article. One of the most difficult things for sales reps to learn is that you build rapport and create strong relationships in every interaction. I would golf with my vendors, but not someone I just met; and I do not look forward to "rapport building" phone calls that serve no real purpose other than to distract me. I'm not saying I would never golf with a vendor, but it would have to be someone I genuinely like and who's opinion I value. Karl you are spot on. Relationships are built over time. If you want to improve your relationship with me send me white papers, e-mail me hot industry related news, and do things that make my job easier. Over time I will look to you for solutions to my problems. True relationship implies trust. Trust takes time, so if you are a sales person that seeks relationship try doing things that build trust first. The rest will follow, and so will a round of golf!
Tim, you're spot on when you say you need to focus on business from the beginning of the relationship. Leading the prospect down the "let's do business" path from the start is so much more effective than the "let's play golf" strategy.
In my opinion, the prospect must understand the potential value a salesperson brings to the table, even in the early stages of the relationship. That takes some salesmanship on the part of the sales person (it certainly takes more salesmanship than merely inviting a prospect to spend a sunny day playing golf!).
Especially for salespeople with lengthy sales cycles, it's important to begin the sales relationship with both a RELATIONSHIP and with a SALES mentality.
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