Close the Sale by Becoming a Friend

You know how important it is to make plans which will propel you towards your goals but what is equally important is actually talking to your customers. Everyone one of your customers will have different requirements. Make sure you take time to listen to their requirements and decide how you will become part of these plans.

There is no way you can be part of your customers success if you isolate yourself from them.

You will find your best customers will actually want to talk to you about your mutual success and never forget that the more effort you make to discover what your client wants then the more vital you will become to their sales team. You will find that as you become more trusted then your relationship will become far more solid. This will result in this relationship becoming far less competitively focused on money and more focussed on moving forward.

This technique will not only apply to your top customers but also those who really want to grow their business.

If you were to ask any experienced sales people what their customers really value in their working relationship you will no doubt get a varied response but pricing is never top of the list.

Some will say competitive pricing is extremely important but if you really dig deep you will find that the most successful will say that someone who can build a relationship with their client will always be the most important value. I have known many top salespeople be invited to their clients weddings, birthdays and many other special occasions.

It must be remembered that your customers are usually very astute business people and for them to trust you and invite you into their family shows what value they place on this relationship.

Please don't take this the wrong way, you are not trying to take advantage of them but can you start to imagine how easier this makes the whole sales process for you.

If you know in your heart that the product you are selling is basically something that you are happy to sell. I.e. you are not trying to sell rubbish, then with the trust you have built up with your prospect you will find that they are only to happy to make an order with you, not just now but also in years to come.

Just remember that if you can sleep at night soundly, knowing that you are not ripping anyone off, then you will not go far wrong.

Most of the sales people who find themselves in this position more often than not started out by just following up a sales lead and instead of going straight in for the hard sell, they took the time to build a relationship and are now reaping the rewards.

Please bear that mind when you attend that first meeting with your next appointment.