We live in a fast-paced world.  The internet and cell phones have dramatically improved sales people’s ability to increase their customer base.  However, at the same time, these tools have also enhanced our productivity, thus decreasing the response time demanded by both their employer and customers.

I began my career having to use payphones to make calls on the road and snail-mail to confirm almost everything else.  Everything was much slower, but much more personal.  Office visits were encouraged, lunches and dinners were commonplace and relationships were established.

As someone who’s been in the sales business for a long time, I know that lasting relationships cannot be built via e-mail and cell phone contact.  Personal interaction is necessary, and the longer that contact can be maintained, the stronger the relationship will become.

So just how valuable IS relationship selling? I believe it accomplishes two vital aspects of the selling process:

• Establishing you as the expert. Having a strong relationship with a client means that the he or she will naturally turn to you as his expert.  When a question or product need arises, the sales rep with the strongest relationship will be asked to solve the problem, provide advice or establish the product criteria for the project about to be designed. Continue reading Relationship Selling →