Building strong relations is one of the key success factors in sales. You need to develop strong relationships with your colleagues, sales manager, business partners, and most importantly, with your prospects and customers.
Establishing a strong relationship is only the starting point. You also need to put time and effort into maintaining your client relationships if you want them to develop into long term customers.
How do top sales reps maintain long term relationships with their clients? How do they turn a first time customer into a regular? They use these tips:
If you want a client to stick around for the long term, you need to put some time into understanding their company’s needs and industry. This helps you find common ground and allows you to speak the same language when interacting with them.
People appreciate when you get back to them quickly. Make it a point to get back to your clients as quickly as you can. It shows them that you made them a priority and you care about them. It will be reciprocated.
Even though you are selling, and your client knows it, they don’t want to feel like you are selling to them all the time. People like dealing with real and genuine people. They like to have real conversations. Know when the time is right to chit chat and when it’s time to sell.
The more a client feels like they are your most important piece of business, the more willing they will be to not only stay with your company, but they will also be more willing to refer you to others. And we all know how important referrals are in the sales world.
Honesty matters in all the relationships you have, not just in sales. Always be honest with your clients about product features and your capabilities. Never promise something that you know you cannot deliver. Be straight up with your clients, and they will be more likely to be honest with you, as well.
Looking to brush up on your sales skills? Check out these insightful blog posts by our sales experts:
How to Sell to Different Personality Types
Top 4 Sales Closing Techniques
4 Challenges for Sales Reps and How to Overcome Them
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Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.