You’ve heard them all; from opening and closing statements to standing up when you talk. Sales techniques aren’t secrets; they’re widely known and implemented. So what’s the number 1 sales approach in 2017?

It may not appear to have all the bells and whistles of other techniques, but it sure is important. More than that, it’s authentic. It’s called relationship selling, and it harks back to the days before cold calling was so widely used. It focuses on making a sale a win-win situation for both the salesperson and the customer. Most importantly, it’s way more likely to land you with repeat business and referrals. Want to know how it’s done? You’ve come to the right place!

Why relationship selling?

First, let’s get into the why. Why should you choose this sales technique over others?

• Contemporary customers expect a higher level of service and relationship selling can provide them with this.
• When you build a positive relationship with a customer, they’re more likely to refer you to someone else.
• A customer will remember a salesperson who took the time to understand their needs and keep this in mind when looking for a replacement/upgraded product.
• This style of selling is particularly useful for slow economic periods where people are reluctant to buy, especially after Christmas and New Year’s when money is tight.

So, how do you go about it?

Listen.

Put on your councillor hat, because it’s time to get comfy and do some serious listening. Instead of shooting question after question and overwhelming your customer, let them do the talking. They might know exactly what they need or just have a rough idea. So ask open-ended questions and remember that you’re there to guide, not play a game of twenty questions. Often it’s the casual, off-hand things that your customer will say that will indicate the product that they are most suited to. And really listening to what they’re saying will let them know that you are genuinely interested in understanding their situation and solving their problem.

Build Trust.

Trust building exercises aren’t just for teenagers at school camp. It’s important to build trust with your customer in a genuine way. Let them know little facts about yourself so that they know the person they’re dealing with is just that, a fellow human being with everyday issues too! Be sincere and openly communicative. Here are a few simple ways that you can build trust with your customers and lay the groundwork for a healthy and prosperous ongoing relationship with them:

• Follow up your phone calls or face-to-face meetings with emails, clarifying what was discussed and the next steps to delivery and installing the product.
• Promptly reply to all communication to show that you’re reliable.
• Deliver on time and provide installation assistance.
• Be honest. If there’s a delay, notify your customer immediately. Don’t keep saying “it’s on its way.” People always see through this, and it always impacts professional relationships.

Put the customer first.

This seems like a no-brainer right? But it’s super easy to get caught up in incentives and to push products that’ll land you with a higher commission rate. These might be effective short-term solutions to your problems, but it isn’t sustainable for sales in the long run. A customer will eventually figure out that you’ve given them a product that they do not need or which doesn’t solve their problems. Be honest and helpful. If you can’t provide them with the product that they’re after, they won’t thank you for swindling them. But they might remember that you were upfront and put their interests first the next time they need something you CAN provide.

Making sales easy with a premium product.

After a product that practically sells itself? InfoPOS is a point of sale software that is designed to satisfy individual needs to make retail businesses’ run as smoothly as possible. It’s your customers’ one-stop problem solver when it comes to full integration with SAGE ERP systems. Incorporating tailored loyalty programs, inventory counts, branch transfers and much more, it provides everything they need in the one place. At InfoPOS, we understand what our customers want and focus on building better relationships.