Top 5 Sales Techniques to Build More Effective Relationships

The business world is constantly changing and evolving around us, whether we like it or not. Playing it safe can be comforting in the sense that you stick with what you know, but you’re doing your organization a disservice by not adapting to new trends, not listening to new ideas, and not pursuing new connections.

This has a trickle-down effect to how your sales team engages with prospects. As the old sports adage reminds us, “You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse.” If your sales team is stagnant in their approach, you’re likely not seeing desired results from these relationships with target organizations.

What’s the solution? Your sales team may need to consider new sales training techniques — or receive better coaching on how to have productive conversations at all levels in the organization.

What Does A Change in Sales Techniques Look Like?

Although it may seem unnerving, you should encourage your team to part with old ideas and techniques, then start implementing new ideas to build more effective relationships. The market is changing, and by changing with the market, your company can achieve growth through stronger connections.

1. Network Smarter

If your sales team is attending the same events with the same people in attendance, you’re going to get the same stagnant results. The name of the game is breaking from what is convenient and comfortable by challenging your sales team to connect with prospects at different levels in the organization.

The goal is to surround yourself with new contacts at target organizations to build more effective relationships to support the entire decision-making process. Find the champions, the gatekeepers, the influencers, and the decision-makers. Find out how to connect with these individuals, network with them, and build stronger connections.

2. Don’t Get Too Caught Up in Your History

Your sales team should be proud of your company’s accomplishments and shouldn’t shy away from touting success. But, when engaging with prospects, your team could easily turn away a new client by bombarding them with historical success figures trying to impress everyone in the room. It becomes all about your company and not about the potential relationship.

Instead, shift your focus to the future you may share together working with the potential client. Paint the picture of you and the prospect will benefit from working together, how each party stands to grow, and what the expected results will be. Incorporate a new sales technique of focusing on the “we” instead of the “me.”

3. Think of Yourself as The Provider

To build a long-lasting relationship with a potential client, you should present yourself as more than just a product or a service. Don’t box yourself in. Open up the full capabilities of the relationship by also focusing on providing tools, resources, and support.

When the client relationship is established, the organization should automatically come to your company first whenever they are in need. Yet, if they only see your company in the confines of a box, they’ll find support or tools elsewhere. Be the provider — not just of a product or service, but as a solution strategist, a tool-provider, and a resourceful asset.

4. Problem Solve Collaboratively

It’s easy to have a canned response whenever a prospect presents an objection. However, that does not always work with prospects in today’s business environment. Instead, your sales team should be trained on more effective listening.

Your team shouldn’t make assumptions about knowing what the right answer is every time. Instead, work toward gaining a better understanding of the problem that needs to be solved by asking more questions and listening to input from multiple levels in the organization. Then, provide an informed answer that shows how your company’s complete offering can help the prospect solve their problem.

5. Treasure Straightforward Honesty

Prospects will see right through over-promises, unrealistic timelines, and unsupported boasts. This old sales technique should be replaced by simple, straightforward honesty about cost, timeline, and the effort required to provide a solution.

Communicating with a future client in a way that is simple, truthful, and clear is the best method to build trust now that will pay off in the future. Your prospects will appreciate the candor and be more receptive to your company’s offering.

Plus, this approach is the right foundation to build on. You don’t want to start off with over-promises and constantly have to over-deliver when the prospect turns into a client. There’s no way to sustain that without the relationship crashing down at some point.

Consider The Connection Process for More Effective Relationships

Our team has worked with numerous organizations to build more effective relationships between service-providers and prospects. We coach clients on The Connection Process, which is our proven methodology of building better connections to create more sustainable revenue for your organization.

We’ll help you network smarter, identify hidden issues in a prospect organization, develop relationships at multiple levels in the organization, and connect your full offering to the prospect’s actual need.

Contact our team today to implement more effective sales training techniques in your organization. The result will be better connections with the right people in target organizations to win the right deals that will help your company grow.