We spend a lot of time talking about what we need to do to achieve our goals. How we do those activities has a huge impact on the outcome. Doing the right things, the wrong way almost always guarantees the wrong outcome, particularly if you are playing the long game.
In sales, too often we define success and the goal in too narrow of a box. If the goal is simply to make a sale, any approach that accomplishes it will work. If instead you are looking at the long view, you understand that the true objective is to build a relationship that will be mutually rewarding for the future. To accomplish this objective, how you go about making the sale is critically important.
Consider your own experience as a consumer. Who are the professional problem solvers in your life that you turn to over and over when certain problems occur? Chances are many of your purchase decisions are based on price and convenience, not a person you trust and depend on to advise you. But when it comes to those really important buying decisions, you want to have true professionals you can count on.
What is your view of customer acquisition for your own products and services? Do customers represent monetary reward only? Are they simply numbers added up each week helping you achieve your monthly goal? Or are they relationships?
What would you do different when you first meet a prospective new client/customer if your goal was to ultimately have them send you 1-2 new customers every year for the next 10 years? Would you invest more time getting to know them and building trust? Would you make sure you asked enough questions to truly understand their problems and pain points so that you could offer a customized solution that fit their specific needs? And when they hesitated, would you welcome that as an opportunity to go deeper and truly help them see the value of your offering?
There is nothing wrong with making a sale and moving on. My question is why would we? Why would we miss out on the pure joy of building a customer base of people who express their appreciation and loyalty through repeat purchases, customer referrals, or both? At the end of the day, your equity in your sales career is your customer base. Without a customer base you start over every day, every week, and every year at zero.
I contend a basic human need is the need to respect ourselves and feel like we make a difference in the world through how we use our time and our talents. I also believe those who have long-lasting and fulfilling careers in sales truly love their customers and their customers love them.
So, the next time you go looking for some sure-fire technique that will help you close more sales, consider how you can simply build relationships with people and through authentic communication to develop relationships that transcend being able to say you made a sale.