Great relationships are the basis for sales success. Here are five ways to build and keep lasting connections that translate to a better bottom line.
Connect on LinkedIn! In today’s tech-centric world, get with the times or go home – many professionals today utilize LinkedIn to manage their business connections, so make it a point to always send a LinkedIn connection after meeting someone in a professional setting.
Be consistent. It’s true what they say: out of sight, out of mind. If you aren’t making a consistent effort to stay in front of your connections, you’ll be left in the dust. The meaning of “consistent” is subjective and will change from connection to connection; only you can determine the lines between not enough, too much, and just right. Just make sure that you engage them enough so that they remember your name and what you do!
Rapport first, business later. People do business with people they like, and in my experience this element is more persuading than even quality and price. Make sure that you take the time to build rapport and establish a relationship before diving headlong into your sales pitch.
A little thoughtfulness goes a long way. Handwritten notes, a bottle of wine for the holidays, or even a tea mug full of cough drops during flu season might cost you a few dollars or a few extra minutes, but small efforts like these do not go unnoticed. A pumpkin pie from Costco around Thanksgiving can warm the heart of even the coldest of prospects, trust me.
Be yourself. People in the business world are constantly interacting with others in a professional capacity, and will be able to tell immediately if you aren’t being genuine. If you feel the need to change who you are to maintain a relationship, examine the reason why you feel that way – at the end of the day, maintaining that relationship might not be as important as you think.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: 5 Relationship Building Tips That Work
More Sales & Marketing articles from Business 2 Community:
- B2B Marketing Number of the Week: 52%
- Stop Business Speak And Simplify Insights To Achieve Customer Centricity
- The Future Is Now: Virtual Reality and Digital Marketing
- How Buyer Personas Come to Life with Content Creation
- Why Contextual Content Marketing Is The Next Big Thing
