Relationship selling means different things to different people . However , we should all be able to agree on one thing : successful career development depends upon how well we strengthen ongoing business relationships with our customers .
Some salespeople have built numerous valuable business relationships over five years . Others have been in the business for one year five different times . They do deals but don ’ t establish strong , professional relationships with their referral sources .
A very insightful measure into your success as a sales rep is how many clients you have developed . We define a client as someone who regularly gives you 50 % or more , if not all , of his or her business . In essence , you are the partner of that business source .
Superstar salespeople tell us that 80 % of their business regularly comes from a few accounts . Others may envy their steady stream of referrals but aren ’ t willing to discipline themselves to build strong business relationships .
Measure your activities against the standards and adjust your work efforts to build a more satisfying and profitable career .
THE RULES OF SELLING 1 . Self-Renewal
2 . Personal And Professional Vision
3 . Total Quality Management 4 . Seeing Fewer People 5 . The Transfer Of Trust 6 . Value-Added Partnerships 7 . Recognizing Support Staff
8 . Being Your Own Sales Leader
9 . Career Growth
1 . Self-renewal describes the constant search for ways to improve your productivity . Productivity means becoming better , smarter , and faster : a true professional . What are you doing to sharpen your axe ?
2 . To become a superstar or to reach the success level of your dreams , you must define your personal and professional vision of your future .
3 . Quality management for any company starts with the sales force . Our company can only work with the business that we , as sales reps , provide . Therefore , it is our responsibility to seek quality business from quality sources .
4 . Most sellers call on too many prospects . I believe you should target a limited number of top-quality account prospects and focus all your call activity on this target list . The goal of every sales rep should be to build a limited clientele of high-producing business sources .
5 . Selling is the transfer of trust . If we analyze why prospects do business with a salesperson , the bottom line is trust . A trusting relationship must be built with them .
6 . A value-added partnership is a business relationship in which each partner receives more than expected . To achieve this relationship , each partner must think like the other and strive to find ways to assist their partner in being more successful .
7 . No discussion of value-added partnerships would be complete without considering our partnership with our inside support staff . They are often the unsung , unrecognized heroes of the day-to-day sales process .
8 . Success is achieved one step at a time and is based on evaluating past performance . Success is accepting personal responsibility and remembering that , “ If it ’ s meant to be , it ’ s up to me .” We should be our own sales leaders , as well as the CEOs of our business , and act on our own advice .
9 . Maximum career growth starts with what we believe . Belief is the guiding factor , passion , and faith that provides our direction in life .
Jack Daly is a serial entrepreneur , international sales expert , and author of Hyper Sales Growth and The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth . Learn more at JackDalySales . com .
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