Chapter 4: Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy
Relationships Add Value
Salespeople who feel a professional responsibility to create as much value for customers as
possible exhibit:
more energy,
a stronger work ethic, and
a greater eagerness to ask customers for decisions
In this information age the key to success in selling is the manner in which salespeople:
establish
build, and
manage relationships
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind suggests a major player will be the empathizer –
someone who has the ability to imagine themselves in someone else’s position and understand
what that person is feeling
Customers perceive that value is added when they feel comfortable with the relationship they
have with a salesperson
The salesperson who is honest, accountable, and sincerely concerned about the customer’s
welfare adds value to the sale
Competitive advantage
Partnering—The Highest-Quality Selling Relationship
Building relationships with clients:
Finding something in common
Complements
Remembering names brought up before
Partnering—The Highest-Quality Selling Relationship
Keys to a partnering relationship:
1) The relationship is built on shared values
2) Everyone needs to clearly understand the purpose of the partnership and be committed to the
vision
3) The role of the salesperson must move from selling to supporting
An effective relationship strategy helps high performing sales people build and maintain win-
win relationships with a wide range of key groups such as Customers, Secondary decision
makers, company support staff, management personnel.
Adapting the Relationship Strategy
Tailored to the type of buyer:
Transactional – relationship strategy is secondary to price, convenience, and delivery
Consultative – need identification through effective communication, and a relationship built
on mutual trust and respect
Strategic alliance – building relationships with several representatives in the seller’s and
buyer’s organization; most challenging
Through Processes That Enhance Your Relationship Strategy
Experience acquired during the age of information has taught us that many factors determine
sales success
Key factors are a positive self-image and the ability to relate to others in effective and
productive ways
Transactional Relationship: food/groceries, cleaning supplies, uniforms, underwear,
something you don’t need to think about before the purchase,
a motivator would be a need of the product, or a special occasion, colour and trends,
seasonality, fit, price
easier to sell and sales person spends less time with customer
brand loyalty
Consultative
questions and conversation is needed between a sales person
get to know the customer, up selling, and build a relationship with customer and get to
know the customer
finding out what the problem is
Strategic Alliances
beyond client and buyer relationship
both work together to solve their issues and create a win-win
Self-Concept—And Important Dimension of the Relationship Strategy
Self-concept – is the bundle of facts, opinions, beliefs, and perceptions about yourself that are
present in your life every moment of every day
Consciously aware of some things
Many are processed unconsciously
Practical approaches to develop a positive self-concept:
1) Focus on the future and stop being overly concerned with past mistakes and failures
2) Develop expertise in selected areas
3) Learn to develop a positive mental attitude
The Win-Win
Both buyer and seller come out of the sale understanding their respective best interests have
been served – they’ve both won
Empathy and Ego Drive
A salesperson simply cannot sell well without the invaluable ability to get critical feedback from
the client through empathy
“empathizer”
can be learned
Ego Drive – inner force that makes the salesperson want and need to make the sale
Verbal and Nonverbal Strategies
impressions are formed in the first few minutes (seconds) that will either facilitate or detract
from the sales call
The image you project is the sum total of verbal and nonverbal factors
Nonverbal message – form of communication that has been defined as “message without
words” or “silent messages”
Facial expressions
Eye contact
Voice tone
Gestures
Appearance (clothing)
Posture, etc.
Spoken nonverbal messages (how) convey much more impact than verbal messages (what)
via tone, volume, and speed of delivery
When there is a discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal messages, you are less apt to be
trusted
Entrance and Carriage
Making a successful entrance is simply believing, and projecting, that you have a reason to be
there and have something important to offer the client
Strong stride Good posture Friendly smile
Influence of Shaking Hands
Factors that affect the message:
1) Eye contact 2) Firmness 3) Depth of interlock 4) Duration of grip 5) Dryness of hands
Best time to present your name is when you extend your hand
Facial Expressions:
Capable of accurately signaling emotion in a split second
Largely universal
People trust a smiling face; sincere
Eye Contact:
Says “I’m listening”
Shows respect, understanding and leads to trust
Prolonged contact is threatening
Impact of Appearance of Relationships
Customers all have certain views, or unconscious expectations, concerning appropriate dress
that can influence credibility and likeability
General guidelines are: Simplicity Appropriate Quality Visual Integrity
Effect of voice Quality
Especially critical on the phone
Cannot change one’s voice but can make it more pleasing:
1) Do not speak too quickly or too slowly
2) Avoid a speech pattern that is dull and colourless
3) Avoid bad speech habits “teen speak”, poor grammar, casual language
Effect of Etiquette
Passport to positive relationships and respect:
1) Wait for an invitation to address a new prospect by their first name
2) Avoid possibly offensive comments or stories
3) Recognize the importance of punctuality
4) When you invite a customer to lunch, do not discuss business before the meal is ordered
unless the client initiates the subject
5) Leave a clear, concise voice mail message
6) Avoid cellular phone contempt
Social Media and Relationships
Not all posts to social media are noteworthy or require comment
However, monitoring these sites may provide valuable information about your clients
interests, hobbies, or other experiences
Similarly, your responses and your own posts should add value to the relationship with
relevant and useful information
Conversational Strategies
Take customer’s lead on length of discussion
Genuine interest in others
Good Listener; encourage others to talk about themselves
Comments on here and now observations
Compliments sincere Search for mutual acquaintances or interests
Self-Improvement Strategies
Set Goals
Use visualization
Use positive self-talk
Reward your progress
Summary
Establishing, building, and maintaining an effective relationship strategy adds value and is
critical to selling success
Understanding the psychology of human behaviour can enhance your strategy
The non-verbal interaction can be more important than what is said – know what kind of
image you present
Good conversational strategies are crucial
