Here is how I define Relationship Selling: Building relationships of genuine rapport and trust for a buying decision in the best interests of all concerned. The sale is achieved through the transference of belief and the delivery of tangible value supported logically with facts and evidence.
Tony Robbins defines selling as simply changing someone's emotional state. He's right because at the most basic level selling is the transference of belief; beliefs create emotion, and emotions drive decisions. We then appear to make rational decisions by justifying with facts and logic.
Enduring success in the sales profession is built on belief in yourself, your solution and the corporation you represent. But without sincere belief and integrity in your sales process and their buying process, trust cannot be established and maintained with both sides. Shallow attempts to manipulate another person's emotions simply destroy trust.
Sales process integrity means being committed to a methodology for truly understanding what will make the buyer completely satisfied and establishing whether there is mutual benefit in doing business together. In this paradigm the sales person never asks for the business prematurely or makes wrong assumptions concerning the real value of features or functions.
High achievers project sincere belief in what they offer through listening and offering insights though questions. They focus almost exclusively on the customer. Although they are self-aware they are not self-absorbed. They understand the maxim that 'nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care'. They genuinely convey that they are not there to sell (talk and push) but to fully understand the problems and needs of the prospective client.
They want to hear what the client has to say. They want to know what's going on in the client's world. They want to understand the client's issues and how to best deliver specific business value for them. They achieve results through a values-based approach to building trust and solving problems.
There is no room for trickery and gimmicks in selling today because we all sell naked - that's what Social Selling 3.0 is, it's beyond the professional façade and a business card. It's real-time context and transparent proximity to a credible network. Focus on what you and your company believes before you talk about the product or service you offer. This is how to attracted customers through alignment of values. Remember, beliefs create emotion and emotions move people to act.
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Tony Hughes is ranked as the #1 influencer on professional selling in Asia-Pacific and is a keynote speaker and best selling author. This article was originally published in LinkedIn where you can also follow Tony's award winning blog. Also visit Tony's keynote speaker website at www.TonyHughes.com.au or his sales methodology website at http://www.rsvpselling.com/.
Main image photo by Flickr: Ken Teegardin
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