Ten tips for building sales relationships that last

“The key to this business is personal relationships” – Jerry Maguire

Tom Cruise might’ve been referring to the business of sports representation in that classic movie, but sales professionals in any industry should take note of his advice. These 10 tips from Insight Squared will help you build meaningful sales relationships with current and potential customers.

// Listen

Your customer will tell you what they want if you give them the chance to. Pay attention to what they say and ask questions instead of talking the whole time. You will be able to better serve them with the knowledge they share with you.

// Seek feedback

Find out if your product fits what your customers are looking for. See if there are any small adjustments you can make to better serve their needs. They will be more satisfied with the transaction and appreciate your efforts.

// Discover shared interests

You should talk about something other than sales and the transaction. Find things that you have in common with customers so that you can develop a bond. You may be surprised by how much you enjoy talking with each other once you discover similar interests or shared experiences.

// Respond promptly

This shows that the customer is a top priority. It is flattering for a customer to know that you are paying them so much attention. Additionally, it keeps them better informed of your progress and ensures you stay on their mind.

// Add value

Be prepared to give something of value—a solution, a fresh perspective, a free pen—to the prospective customer early on and throughout the relationship. When you are searching blogs or social media for things to help you, find things that might also be of interest to your customers. Send links to blogs you think they might enjoy. Set them up with people who you know would want to work with them. Your good deeds will pay off.

// Have conversations, not sales pitches

Keep it casual. You don’t want your customers to feel like you are pushing them to buy. Move your focus away from the sales pitch and towards building sales relationships. Once the relationship is in place, the sale will come naturally.

// Be genuine

People can tell when you’re being insincere, so don’t be. Your customers will stop trusting you if you seem fake. It is obvious that you are only manipulating them for sales.

// Make their lives easier

You want your customers to enjoy working with you. If you can help them out, they will love doing business with you. Try to make all your interactions fit seamlessly into their schedule. Always be available in case they have a question or concern.

// Be patient

Sales relationships aren’t built overnight; they take time to nurture and grow. You need to be prepared to put in the necessary time to grow strong relationships with your customers. Don’t try to push customers into a relationship; that will only scare them away.

// Maintain your relationships

Don’t put in all of this hard work only to fall out of touch with customers once the deal closes. Keep in touch. Follow their company on social media and in the news and congratulate them on their successes. Let them know when new products are released. If they are satisfied with you, they will want to continue doing business with you.

Information for this article was excerpted from an Insight Squared blog – 11 Tips for Building Sales Relationships.