It worth noting that relationship selling becomes even more important when you’re dealing with longer sales cycles, complex solutions and expensive products as these typically require higher levels of trust and stronger relationships. This also applies when you sell services that rely on recurring customization or ongoing commitments such as solution membership sites and other subscription-based services. You'll also stand out from the competition by taking the time to build stronger relationships with your prospects and existing customers. Relationship selling is not about trying to compete on price or features but rather on its own differentiation.
This is useful for attracting new customers including through referrals as well as retaining existing customers thereby increasing customer lifetime value and reducing customer churn. Relationship Selling Skills Relationship selling requires that you understand the basic principles and qualities that support long-term relationships. Likability While being liked isn't enough to win every sale but if your prospects are afraid of a call from your sales rep then the sale will certainly Email Marketing List be difficult to close relationships and communicating effectively become invaluable. Our annual State of Sales report found that respondents who regularly exercised their soft skills were more likely to achieve their sales goals in the previous year.
Some people might say their job is to sell not to make friends. Yet being likable doesn’t mean your sales reps should blindly agree with everything the customer says. Sometimes they need to have difficult conversations or point out customer mistakes. Relationships are two-way and are stronger if there is mutual respect. For example if a sales rep has a meeting booked for a certain time then being on time shows that they respect the prospect’s time. Intimacy In sales intimacy means having the prospect’s best interests at heart. Not only should your representative understand the prospect and their needs but the prospect also needs to feel that you truly care about those needs.