CEO Newsletter
The most successful sales people are the ones who know how to have meaningful conversations to connect with their buyer. Sales is really about one thing – cultivating relationships. Because a relationship opens a door for you with a prospect, and the trust cultivated from navigating that relationship is what closes the deal.
Don’t pitch, connect: True sales success is achieved by people who understand that they no one wants a sales pitch, and no one just wants to talk business. They’re the ones who understand that in order to build rapport, you have to value your connection with a prospect, over the satisfaction of a quick sell.
If people don’t like you, they certainly aren’t going to do business with you. It’s about being present and available, following through on commitments and promises, and proving your worth through offering up knowledge in your field.
Why it’s important: The benefits of relationship building extend beyond just the sale. By learning about someone, you enable yourself to give them advice and service tailored uniquely to their situation. It gives you the ability to be better at your job, by using your expertise both on your field, and your knowledge of your buyer. When they understand you’ve given them something personalized, their loyalty will follow.
Follow-through: Maintain your connection after the deal is closed. You can’t simply form a relationship to close a sale, and then disappear after the fact. Check-in. And don’t approach every conversation with a motive. People know if you’re genuine. If you are in fact, genuine, your relationship will do your selling for you by offering higher retention rates, and higher referral rates.
This type of selling is especially important in the insurance field, where we rely heavily on repeat business and longtime customers to maintain our book of business. Mastery of this skill is essential to our growth and success in a field increasingly dominated by online service from captives.
- CEO Newsletter
Topics
Sales is really about one thing — cultivating relationships
Because a relationship opens a door for you with a prospect, and the trust cultivated from navigating that relationship is what closes the deal. This type of selling is especially important in the insurance field, where we rely heavily on repeat business and longtime customers to maintain our book of business. Don't pitch, connect. Check-in. Don't have a motive for every conversation. Mastery of this relationship-building skill is essential to our growth and success. Check out the 2019 Issue 2 of Smart Choice Magazine for more.