Building relationships before selling

It is a well known proverb “Customer is God in business”. No business can survive for a longer time if it does not build and maintain good relationships with customers. Broadly speaking, the relationships with customers are of two types namely ‘relationships before selling’ and ‘relationships after selling’. 

Before sales relationships primarily deal with the following issues:

·         Product promotion

·         Educating the customers about the benefits they derive by purchasing the product

·         Educating the customers how  our product is superior to the products of our competitors

·         Clarification of misconceptions about the product or offer

·         Motivating the customers to buy the product

Here, the prime focus should be on ‘Selling’ but not merely on ‘Telling’.

Methods to build relationships with ‘customers before selling’

Following are some of the methods that help you to build your relationships with your customers before selling:

·         To build relationships with customers before selling, a good database of potential customers should be collected. However, mere collection of data and maintenance of database will not definitely serve the purpose. You have to contact the customers on timely basis.

·         Assure that the data that you collect is quality data. Make a prior enquiry whether the customers whose data you collect are potential customers or not. 

·         If any contacted person shows any interest to buy the product, collect their address, phone number, and mail ids.

·         Prefer sending e-mail over making telephone calls because it will not disturb the customers and they can go through your mail according to their convenience. Moreover, it costs you nothing.

·         If you want to meet any customer personally, you ensure that you have received prior appointment.

·         Motivate him/her to buy the product using different kinds of motivational methodologies

·         You inform them about your latest products and offers.

·         You inform them about the benefits they derive by purchasing the product

·         You explain them how your product is superior to the products of your competitors.

·         You clarify their misconceptions about your product and motivate them to buy your product.

·         Try to make use of social media communities to the maximum possible extent. Never think that social media is only for personal use and remember that it is a good tool to develop your business.

·         To promote your product, select the medium of promotion which assures you more ROI. To assess ROI of different mediums of promotion, take the help of industry experts.

·         Be quick to respond whenever you receive any kind of enquiries or leads.

·         Introduce methods such as LinkedIn Answers, a feature that allows people to ask questions and receive answers.

·         With your customers, try to be always open and do not be conservative until there is a chance of your trade secrets and security policies getting violated.

·         When you communicate with your customers, make your communication customer centric.

·         When you build your website or give a commercial advertisement, clearly mention about all the required contact details.

Written by: S. Chandrashekara Reddy

Mail Id: chandrashekara_reddy@yahoo.co.in