Posted on: 03 December, 2001
Author: Wild Bill Montgomery
Here we are, at the final chapter so to speak. Today,lets talk more on how you go about utilizing thepotential for "Relationship Selling".You know I've done this myself more times than I cancount. Whe... Here we are, at the final chapter so to speak. Today,lets talk more on how you go about utilizing thepotential for "Relationship Selling".You know I've done this myself more times than I cancount. When people point out the obvious to me, alittle alarm goes off in the back of my head saying"You knew that"! Sometimes it's the most obvious thingsyou overlook. So, when that little voice says that toyou, just think right back, "Well, why didn't I use itthen"?I started last week with a couple of tips which we'llrecap quickly and then move on to some more Tips &Techniques for Relationship Selling.Steer clear of the "I'm here to sell you something"approach. Since the beginning of the Television era,people have been trampled with Sales and Advertising.Most will shut you down before you can get ever getstarted.See yourself as a guide if you will. You're there toassist and lead them to their final destination, yourproduct or service. You are there to help them, notsell them!Don't vocally paint yourself into a "What's it gonnabe?" corner. If you use direct sales or hard persuasiontechniques that's exactly what it comes down to, andyou better be prepared!Remember, "Relationship Selling" is not something youturn off and on like a light switch. It's a way oflife. Although we are focusing on your business here,the theories behind Relationship Selling can apply toall facets of your life.Go in with the client, not after a client. If you enterthe relationship assuming that they are already aclient, you'll be less apt to try and sell them, andmore apt to building a relationship.Moving onward and upward....Often "Relationship Selling" starts in social settings.People used to ask me what I did, an I would answerabruptly "I do freelance Perl Programming and WebDesign on the Internet". So what's wrong with thispicture? The easiest way to show you, is to answer itagain the right way. "We provide small businesses withlow cost alternatives to expensive Internetdevelopment". Ok, which sounds better? I hope you saidnumber two. If not you have a lot of work in front ofyou. Rule of thumb: Never tell that what you are, tellthem how you can help. In this case, I have alignedmyself with the small business person, who is my targetmarket, but at the same time, I have expressed that Iam helping, not selling.Did you notice that I didn't use any technical terms orwords that are difficult to understand. Dump all thetechno-garbage and those terms that nobody really gets.If you're using them because you think you areimpressing them, welcome to the real world. It's called"Frustration". How would you enjoy spending lunchlistening to somebody and not understanding half ofwhat they say. Oh yea, I'm buying yourthingamajigger...Listen to your prospect. The more they say, the betteryou can anticipate their needs and wants. Most oftentheir needs and wants are two different things. Theirneeds are their bottom line, while their wants are topof the line. Don't try to sell them what they need,make it clear that you can give them what they want,how they need it.When using Relationship Selling stay away from "PowerWords". You have phrases like "productivity","competitive advantage", "your bottom line" and on downto the hard sale oldies like "MAKE MONEY NOW","Revolutionary Product" or even "Sensational NewOffer". These power words have their place inadvertising headlines, but not here.A sure fire way to know if their is something wrongwith your relationship selling approach is to examinethe relationship you have with current clients. Was therelationship the same before they became your client asit was after? Did you then lack confidence that you nowexhibit (afterwards), while showing them you really areas good as you said your were? You are probably losingcustomers from exhibiting that lack of confidence goingin. Perhaps you're the opposite, you're actually moreconfident with the sell, than you are with the serviceor product. In that case, I would have to say it's timeto change products. Nevertheless, confidence is the keynote here. Your listener must know you are confidentenough to introduce it, for them to be confident enoughto buy it.I'm one of those rare breed who sometimes enjoylistening to telemarketers and insurance agents (to apoint). Not for any sales tips I can use, but for anybad habits I may still unwittingly be using. When itcomes to Hard Sales, these guys are like dinosaurs. Ifany part of their sales pitch starts to sound familiar,stop and re-examine your Relationship Selling. Pointbeing; Be sure that those annoying little sales pitchesdon't ring a bell with your own approach. Sometimes itcan be downright hard not to come off sounding like asalesman.All kinds of things can build or destroy a goodrelationship. This is where the word "Alignment" comesin. You must align yourself with your prospectiveclient. If your prospective client is a frat house andyou're in the DJ business, you would hardly show up ina suit and tie, unless of course you want these boys toeat you alive. On the other hand you don't want to meetthe president of an accounting firm wearing sandals anda tie-dye tee shirt either. But it goes much fartherthan appearance. It's in your language, your mannerismsand the way you move. Everything about you should alignwith what your client needs to see and hear.Most relationships in your life are built without asecond thought. It's simple action-reaction. Twostrangers meet. One says "good morning" (action), theother responds "good morning to you" (reaction). Soonyou're talking about what you do for a living and soon. A simple, subconscious event. Action-Reactionstarts a relationship, but planned action-responserelationships often require research and planning. Youwant to lead the conversation in a certain direction,so you know the response to their reaction to cue thenext reaction-response. Remember, you're a guide. Leadthe conversation in the direction you want, withoutusing sales pitches, buzz words or mentioning productsor services. The trick is to lead them to the point ofasking you what you want to tell them.There is only so much I can get across in this article,but throughout this series of three articles I havebeen recommending a book by Rick Beneteau. If you would like to learn more on "Relationship Selling" & "PersonalBranding", I strongly urge you to read his Powerful newbook that puts YOU on the fast track to becoming anInternet Celebrity. Not only does Rick teach you step-by-step how he did it; he also asked many of the topInternet personalities to share their success secretswith you. If you're at all serious about achievingsuccess on the Internet, you need to start Branding YOUand Breaking the Bank! Do yourself a favor. Check ItOut at: Article Tags: Relationship Selling Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Wild Bill MontgomeryHome of the "InfoZone" Business andMarketing Article Archives Article Tags: Relationship Selling Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com