{"id":941,"date":"2019-11-20T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T16:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.kmbrian.com\/?p=941"},"modified":"2020-12-04T13:49:22","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T19:49:22","slug":"relationship-selling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/","title":{"rendered":"Relationship Selling: Definition, Techniques, and Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Relationship selling is &#8211; as the name implies &#8211; a <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-techniques\/\">sales technique<\/a> based around using relationships to close sales. It\u2019s typically used to sell high-ticket items and things like customizable software &#8211; purchases that have a long <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-cycle-stages\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sales cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s used because:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Few customers buy high-ticket or customizable software without giving their options a great deal of thought. Being proactive in building relationships with potential customers can significantly up the odds of you securing a sale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s easier to keep an existing customer than secure a new one, and relationships play a key part in helping customers stick around.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>People buy from sales reps who are genuinely excited about their work and what they sell. In fact, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.themarketingblender.com\/statistics-every-b2b-company-know-boost-sales\/\">68% of customers are reportedly lost because of indifference or perceived apathy<\/a> &#8211; perceptions that relationship selling can help mitigate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At the opposite end of the scale is transactional selling &#8211; the approach usually used to sell low-ticket items with a short sales cycle. The focus of a transactional sale is the product itself, rather than the customer and their needs.<\/p>\n<p>Transactional selling is generally all that\u2019s required to sell low-ticket items, simply because the less an item costs us, the fewer questions we\u2019re likely to have. Generally all we need to know is what the product does, and what it costs.<\/p>\n<p>High-ticket items are a whole different kettle of fish. The decision to buy can take weeks or even months. Those of us tasked with selling high-ticket items need to be doing much more than pushing our product and its features and benefits &#8211; we need to be working closely with our prospects to learn about them and their needs, and how our product can meet them.<\/p>\n<div id=\"om-kldfijnfan86dzl7zre2-holder\"><\/div>\n<p><b>We need to be practicing relationship selling. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color: #e0f1ff;\">Relationship selling is just one of many skills you should have in your sales toolbox. For more <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-skills\/\">sales skills<\/a> every salesperson needs to master, check out all of our resources on <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-skills-2\/\">sales skills you should build<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Relationship Selling Techniques<\/h2>\n<p>To come up with a few techniques you can work on if you want to start relationship selling &#8211; or improve your existing relationship selling skills &#8211; I sat down with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amyvolas\">Amy Volas<\/a>, founder and CEO of <a href=\"http:\/\/avenuetalentpartners.com\/ \">Avenue Talent Partners<\/a> for her insight.<\/p>\n<p>Check out the video below to see our whole conversation, and read on for the main takeaways.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R0L4e_NmltU\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Find Common Ground<\/h3>\n<p>To build a relationship with someone &#8211; anyone &#8211; you need to get to know them on a personal level. The easiest way to do that is to find some common ground.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/allypelle\">Ally Pelle<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/sales\/how-to-establish-commonality-with-your-prospects-and-why-its-important\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">once wrote about techniques<\/a> she used for establishing commonality when she worked in sales at HubSpot &#8211; things like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>When you\u2019re on the phone, listen to what\u2019s in the background. Can you hear kids or a dog barking? Use these things to start a conversation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Look at your prospect\u2019s LinkedIn profile &#8211; did you study the same subject? Go to the same college? Maybe you know someone who did?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Check where they live. Do you know anyone who lives there? Have you been there yourself? Are you thinking about visiting (or maybe you are now?) Try asking them what they\u2019d recommend you do when you get there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ally also suggests a few things <i>not<\/i> to talk about, with one topic in particular standing out: <b>the weather<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, try and steer clear of any small talk. It\u2019s usually a dead-end conversation that does little to further a relationship.<\/p>\n<h3>Get Better at Listening<\/h3>\n<p>I often see inexperienced salespeople make the mistake of talking too much. This might be because they think the more they talk about the product, the more the customer will want it, or it might just be that they don\u2019t know how to listen.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saleshacker.com\/sales-call-research-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">data collected by Sales Hacker<\/a> from thousands of sales calls signals that, in fact, it\u2019s probably not <i>just<\/i> inexperienced reps who are guilty of talking too much.<\/p>\n<p>They found that the average sales rep talks 75% of the time, and lets their prospects talk just 25% of the time:<\/p>\n<p><img data-attachment-id=\"940\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio.png?fit=550%2C94&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"550,94\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"salesperson talking vs listening ratio\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Relationship Selling: Definition, Techniques, and Examples &#8211; salesperson talking vs listening ratio&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio.png?fit=300%2C51&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio.png?fit=550%2C94&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-940\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio.png?resize=550%2C94&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How much a salesperson talks as opposed to listening\" width=\"550\" height=\"94\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio.png?w=550&amp;ssl=1 550w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/salesperson-talking-vs-listening-ratio.png?resize=300%2C51&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Yet the data shows that listening is directly correlated with success, with the \u201cwinning\u201d ratio sitting at 43% pitching, 57% listening:<\/p>\n<p><img data-attachment-id=\"938\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio.png?fit=550%2C606&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"550,606\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"listen vs pitch ratio\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Relationship Selling: Definition, Techniques, and Examples &#8211; listen vs pitch ratio&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio.png?fit=272%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio.png?fit=550%2C606&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-938\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio.png?resize=550%2C606&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Top closers listen more than they pitch chart\" width=\"550\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio.png?w=550&amp;ssl=1 550w, http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/listen-vs-pitch-ratio.png?resize=272%2C300&amp;ssl=1 272w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Improve your listening skills, and not only will your prospects like you more, but it will help you understand their needs so you\u2019re better positioned to sell them the right product.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cResearch suggests that we only remember 25%-50% of what we hear &#8211; that means that we miss up to 75% of what the customer is saying.\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/david-jacoby-41160\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Jacoby<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.salesreadinessgroup.com\/blog\/techniques-for-building-sales-relationships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sales Readiness Group<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Add Value<\/h3>\n<p>Add value by leveraging opportunities to help your prospects out. Maybe you\u2019re trying to sell them a product that you know will resolve pain point x for them, and you can send them a resource that you know will help them in the meantime. Perhaps you can offer them a consultancy call. Maybe you can gift them swag of free tickets to an event.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"http:\/\/hbr.org\/2012\/03\/the-value-in-wowing-your-customers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an article for HBR<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/hbr.org\/2012\/03\/the-value-in-wowing-your-customers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fred Reichheld<\/a> gives a great example of how an employee at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rackspace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rackspace<\/a> provided added value to a customer.<\/p>\n<p>During a lengthy troubleshooting call, the employee heard the customer say to someone in the background that they were hungry. The employee put the customer on hold and ordered them a pizza. When the doorbell rang half an hour later the employee told them to answer the door because it was a pizza. Understandably, the customer was both surprised and excited.<\/p>\n<p>While this is an example of added value with the \u201cwow\u201d factor, smaller gestures can still go a long way.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever it is, offering prospects real value beyond what you\u2019re trying to sell makes you <i>worth talking to<\/i>. Needless to say, you\u2019ll have a much easier time building a relationship with and ultimately selling to prospects who <i>want<\/i> to talk to you, than those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Know (and Love) Your Subject Matter<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Chances are you regularly \u2013 or always \u2013 sell to the same types of people. Maybe they\u2019re tech CEOs, or heads of marketing at digital agencies, or pharmaceutical VPs. Either way, if you frequently find yourself speaking to people from a specific industry, there\u2019s really no excuse for you not to <em>know about that industry.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong. I\u2019m not saying you need an encyclopaedic knowledge of the internal combustion engine to sell to a car manufacturer. But if you\u2019re going to build a strong relationship with your prospects \u2013 a relationship that allows you to pitch to them as a trusted expert, rather than a salesperson looking to make a quick buck \u2013 then you absolutely need to understand what\u2019s going on in their sector.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at <a href=\"http:\/\/markcubancompanies.com\/\">Mark Cuban<\/a>. The <em>Shark Tank <\/em>investor is a self-professed voracious reader who loves immersing himself in new subjects and marketplaces. His thirst for knowledge makes him extremely valuable, because his words carry genuine substance. That puts him in a position to forge meaningful bonds that transcend the traditional salesperson-client relationship.<\/p>\n<p>Provided you\u2019re prepared to do your homework, there\u2019s no reason why you can\u2019t take a leaf out of Mark\u2019s book. But it might require a change in mindset, from \u201cI need to contact as many prospects as possible RIGHT NOW\u201d, to \u201cI\u2019m going to slow things down, focus on learning about a single industry for the next two hours, then reach out to people in that industry\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Amy Volas is a big believer in this approach. Here\u2019s what she has to say about her process:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s say I have 10 accounts that are focused on healthcare and those accounts are all Fortune brands, they\u2019re going to be going through some of the same things. Maybe we\u2019re approaching an election year and healthcare\u2019s going to be a part of that, how do they feel about that? I\u2019m going to read up on that, and when I reach out to them I can actually have a very productive conversation to understand how this affects them, what are their goals as a result of it, how are they preparing for it? You\u2019re not asking them the read, rinse and repeat, standard-issue questions. You\u2019re having a business conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Be Totally Honest with Prospects<\/h3>\n<p>This goes beyond not telling tall tales regarding your product\u2019s capabilities, or trying to hide things in the fine print that you fear would put a prospect off (though you should, of course, be upfront about that stuff, too).\u00a0<img data-attachment-id=\"993\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/be-totally-honest-with-prospects\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"350,350\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-993 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?resize=213%2C213&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects\" width=\"213\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Be-Totally-Honest-with-Prospects.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Always tell the truth. Then you never have to remember anything.&#8221; Mark Twain<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If a product isn\u2019t right for a prospect, speak up. If a competitor&#8217;s product would suit their needs better, tell them. It will earn you their respect, and may potentially earn you a referral &#8211; even if it loses you that specific sale.<\/p>\n<p>While it seems many sales reps struggle with the idea of being so honest with prospects that they willingly lose themselves a sale, the concept is nothing new. In fact, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mary-anne-wampler-878790\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mary Anne Wampler<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/theresa-gale-cec-crc-6818a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Theresa Gale<\/a> touched on this in their 2006 book <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Wake-Up-Sell-Theresa-Gale\/dp\/141203583X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wake Up and Sell<\/a>. They stated how their clients and prospects trust them as a result of their wholehearted honesty &#8211; especially the fact that they will speak up if they don\u2019t believe their service is right for them:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cProspects and clients trust me because I\u2019m not afraid to tell them the truth and I won\u2019t promise something I can\u2019t deliver. I\u2019ll also tell the prospect if my product or service isn\u2019t right for them.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Be Reliable<\/h3>\n<p>If you say you\u2019ll call a prospect at 3 p.m. or will email them something right after a call &#8211; make sure you do it.<\/p>\n<p>Intentionally or not, if you say you\u2019ll do something and you don\u2019t, you\u2019re going to lose their trust and you\u2019re going to be unable to build that relationship or, in turn, sell to them.<\/p>\n<h3>Be Real<\/h3>\n<p>Prospects can tell when you\u2019re \u201cfaking it,\u201d so don\u2019t. You\u2019ll have a serious problem connecting with prospects if you\u2019re not being genuine, so make a point of relaxing and being yourself (within reason, of course). If you love what you do and believe in your product, this should come naturally.\u00a0<img data-attachment-id=\"991\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/be-real\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"350,350\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"be-real\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Be real when building relationships&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-991 \" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?resize=195%2C195&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"be-real\" width=\"195\" height=\"195\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/be-real.jpg?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/brian-horn\/6-reasons-why-authenticit_b_6070622.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Writing for the Huffington Post<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/brianhorn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brian Ainsley Horn<\/a> calls \u201cbeing yourself\u201d the magic sales bullet &#8211; and he has a point:<\/p>\n<p>No one expects you to be the \u201cperfect\u201d salesperson and to know everything &#8211; at least, not unless you act like you do. Be yourself, and not only will you have a far easier time building relationships, but you\u2019ll be seen as more \u201chuman\u201d &#8211; and consequently, prospects will be more forgiving when you make mistakes, just like all humans do.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be the best speaker and you don\u2019t need all the answers. However, you should stay true to your values and have your personality in your sales message.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Be Patient<\/h3>\n<p>Relationship selling rarely happens overnight &#8211; especially since you\u2019re likely selling high-ticket items.<\/p>\n<p>It typically takes time and involves a lot of back-and-forth and following up, so you need to be super patient with prospects. The higher the price of what you\u2019re selling, the longer you can expect to wait between first contact and closing. You might need to consider looking into a <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.prisync.com\/ultimate-ecommerce-pricing-strategies\/\">pricing strategy<\/a> for digging deeper into the subject.<\/p>\n<h2>Relationship Selling: Examples in Practice<\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s a good chance that throughout your life, you\u2019ve made many purchases as a result of relationship selling &#8211; even if neither you, or the person selling to you, was aware of this.\u00a0<img data-attachment-id=\"995\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/intro-last-paragraph\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"350,350\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"you\u2019ve made many purchases as a result of relationship selling\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;you\u2019ve made many purchases as a result of relationship selling &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-995 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?resize=180%2C180&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"you\u2019ve made many purchases as a result of relationship selling \" width=\"180\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/intro-last-paragraph.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Many of us visit the same barber or hairdresser repeatedly &#8211; not <i>just<\/i> because we like how they do our hair, but because we like <i>them<\/i> and we want to be loyal to them and their business.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of us like to revisit the same place when we go on vacation and stay in the same hotel. When we do that, the staff typically learns our name and our preferences; things like our favorite room and what drink we order at the bar. The effort the hotel\u2019s staff puts into learning these things is a form of relationship selling, even if we tend to think of it as simply good service.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, you\u2019re probably not running a hotel or hair salon &#8211; you\u2019re probably here because you want to learn more about how relationship selling can be applied to a B2B environment.<\/p>\n<p><img data-attachment-id=\"994\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/relationship-selling\/relationship-selling-examples-alex-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex.jpg?fit=480%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"480,360\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Relationship-Selling-Examples-&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex.jpg?fit=480%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-994 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex.jpg?resize=224%2C168&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Relationship-Selling-Examples-\" width=\"224\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex.jpg?w=480&amp;ssl=1 480w, http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Relationship-Selling-Examples-Alex.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/trustedadvisor.com\/trustmatters\/trust-based-selling-in-the-real-world-case-study-24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Take \u201cAlex\u201d<\/a> (not his real name). Alex leads a wealth management firm. While his business is based on helping clients manage their money, there\u2019s actually so much more to what he does:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThey need help from time to time in various aspects of their lives. I get to know about these issues because they have financial impacts. Marriage, Children, College, Divorce, Insurance, Disease, I hear about them all. It is important to weave all aspects of the client\u2019s life through their financial affairs, nothing personal happens in isolation.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Alex cites one example in which he spent an hour talking to a client\u2019s 19-year-old daughter about how to manage her $3000.<\/p>\n<p>While the daughter wasn\u2019t his client, and there would be no direct financial benefit to Alex from talking to her, it made the client happy, and opened up the possibility that the daughter too would become a client in future. Since it can take a long time for our efforts to pay off, forward-thinking is an essential part of relationship selling.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apollo Angco<\/a> puts <a href=\"http:\/\/www.onepagecrm.com\/blog\/selling-relationships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">his success as a sales representative at August99 down to<\/a> the fact that he prioritized building relationships with his prospects overselling to them. He did that in large part by making a point of listening to his prospects far more than he spoke to them:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI believe that the key to selling isn\u2019t speaking and what to say \u2013 it\u2019s listening.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>He also mentioned how he preferred to pick up the phone (instead of sending emails), and take detailed notes of conversations with prospects and clients. This is great advice. Building relationships via email is <i>really<\/i> hard &#8211; use it sparingly. Taking notes is invaluable since it will help impress a potential customer with how carefully you listened to them, and how much you remember of what they told you.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Resnick, VP of sales at The Artcraft Company, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/news\/web-exclusive\/april-2017\/case-study-relationship-selling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">secured a $116,000 order<\/a> as a result of relationship selling. The client in question was an existing customer that another member of the team had worked closely with, until Resnick took over.<\/p>\n<p>The relationship Resnick\u2019s colleague had built up with the client gave him an \u201cin\u201d that made it easy for him to secure a six-figure sale &#8211; something which may well have been impossible had the effort not been made to foster that relationship when the client was worth much less.<\/p>\n<p>As another example, Amy Volas spent two years forging a relationship with an SVP of sales who matched her ideal buyer profile. She kept close tabs on his career trajectory and trends in his industry, reaching out to him every time something significant happened.<\/p>\n<p>After a year, he started to engage with Amy\u2019s content. This opened up a whole new avenue, allowing her to ask questions. Which articles did he read? Which was his favorite? What lessons did he take from them, and had he implemented any changes as a result? If so, what was the reaction from his team? They weren\u2019t going through a sales process \u2013 they were having a genuine business conversation.<\/p>\n<p>Amy and the SVP never ended up doing business together \u2013 but he became one of her biggest sources of referrals, winning her a ton of new clients. All because she was prepared to put the time in. Amy told me:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople look at their opportunities as \u201cclosed, done\u201d. But all of those carry a lot of opportunities for relationships like this. It doesn\u2019t always have to be immediate, with a quick fix of giving me business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lesson here is not to discriminate, and again, to look forward. A customer who\u2019s worth very little to you now could be worth <i>much<\/i> more down the line &#8211; especially if you take the time to build a relationship that ensures they stay loyal to you as their business grows, and their needs increase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Relationship selling is &#8211; as the name implies &#8211; a sales technique based around using relationships to close sales. It\u2019s typically used to sell high-ticket items and things like customizable software &#8211; purchases that have a long sales cycle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[46,52,38,53],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Relationship-Selling-Definition-Techniques-and-Examples-1.jpg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.5 - http:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Relationship Selling: Definition, Techniques, and Examples<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Relationship selling is a great sales technique. 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These techniques are renowned for a reason \u2013 they\u2019ve worked for many salespeople before you, and they could work for you, too.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sales&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Sales-Techniques.jpeg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6520,"url":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/saas-sales\/","url_meta":{"origin":941,"position":1},"title":"A Beginner\u2019s Guide to SaaS Sales","date":"12\/17\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"SaaS sales is a popular niche to get into. Reps in this space sell expensive products, grow their technical knowledge, and learn a lot about consultative and enterprise selling. It\u2019s a fast-paced, rapidly-growing, and exciting industry. After all, when you\u2019re selling big ticket items, the stakes are particularly high. What\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sales&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/A-Beginners-Guides-to-SaaS-Sales.jpeg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1015,"url":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/consultative-selling-definition-techniques-examples\/","url_meta":{"origin":941,"position":2},"title":"Consultative Selling: Definition, Techniques, and Examples","date":"02\/28\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"According to buyers, the three most important elements of a positive sales experience are a sales representative who 1) listens to their needs, 2) isn\u2019t pushy, and 3) provides relevant information. That\u2019s not too much to ask, right? It might not sound like it, but research shows that while sales\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sales&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/consultative-marketing-header-2.jpg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5412,"url":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/value-based-selling\/","url_meta":{"origin":941,"position":3},"title":"Value-Based Selling: What It Is and How To Do It","date":"07\/22\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Value-based selling puts your customers and their needs front and center. This sales method focuses on emphasizing the value your customers will get from your product or service, thereby making price seem less important and helping to reduce the fear of change. Value-based selling is becoming an increasingly important sales\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sales&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Value-Based-Selling.jpeg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2601,"url":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-methodologies\/","url_meta":{"origin":941,"position":4},"title":"The Top 8 Sales Methodologies to Consider for Your Business","date":"06\/18\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s one thing to make sales, but it's entirely another to find a system that delivers scalable, measurable, repeatable growth. That's where sales methodologies come in. Companies implement sales methodologies in their organizations to enable predictability and turn uncertain chaos into guaranteed success. When you find a process that works,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sales&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Top-sales-methodologies-header-1.jpg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6597,"url":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-terminologies\/","url_meta":{"origin":941,"position":5},"title":"Sales Terminology - The Ultimate List of Sales Terms","date":"12\/13\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Sales is a jargon-heavy and acronym-heavy, industry. Hearing your colleagues throw around terms like EBITDA, AIDA, and KPIs on your first few weeks in sales can be daunting \u2013 especially when you don\u2019t know what they mean. 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