It takes Two (Essential Sales Skills) to Build a Relationship

General Sales: It takes Two (Essential Sales Skills) to Build a Relationship

By Linda Richardson


Many things go into winning a sale — the fit of your solution, your sales strategy, how clearly you articulate value, your pricing, track record, responsiveness, and so on. And while all these factors impact a customer’s decision to buy, Aberdeen, an independent research firm, in its study with 500 best-in-class companies identified the relationship between the customer and salesperson as the #1 reason why a customer buys from a particular salesperson. It boils down to how the customer feels, i.e., trust and relates to the salesperson. Successful salespeople have known this for a long time, but finally there is hard data to confirm it. Aberdeen also found that core selling skills and improving the sales conversation represented the most significant area for improving sales results.

The study affirmed how important a salesperson’s “in the moment” dialogue with a customer is and how essential it is to use that time connecting to forge the relationship. In many situations without that bond, with other factors fairly equal, a salesperson isn’t likely to win the deal.

In the go-go years when the economy was booming, “relationships” were put on a back burner. As one sales manager phrased it, “Relationships were something that slowed you down.” Today, nothing is further from the truth.

The self-reflect questions are: What is my relationship quotient? What can I do to make sure my skills are a competitive advantage in connecting for me? How well am I using “in the moment” time with customers to connect and make customers want to buy from me?

The critical dialogue skills that we at Richardson have identified are Presence, Relating, Questioning, Listening, Positioning, and Checking. While all of these skills merit the name critical, the two skills that stand out as the relationship builders are Relating and Questioning.

Relating and Questioning are both personal and business connector skills.

Surely if you are in sales today, you are saying to yourself you already know how to relate to customers and you certainly know how to ask questions. The fact is that today being good isn’t good enough. The goal is to be superb at these skills and that takes focus for most of us. So let’s look at each of these skills.

It’s easy to think of questions considered old hat as far as a sales skill goes. What salesperson hasn’t been schooled on the importance of asking questions? Today, however, the bar has been raised, customers know more, demand more, and are more prepared. Solutions are more complex. Being good at Relating and Questioning are NOT good enough. These skills must be raised more than a notch or two.

Relating
Relating is a skill many salespeople take for granted. It’s easy to assume relating to someone comes naturally — you click or you don’t. You’re in sales because you like people, and so on. You have the opportunity to relate to your customers on two levels: personal and business. Personal rapport is established by a combination of things including your presence and dress, which helps customers initially identify with you, personal interest you show, common areas of interest, things that appeal to their personal drivers, and so on. Business rapport is established through things such as professional identification such as membership in an association, similar professional backgrounds or education, or providing industry color. Both help you connect with customers.

The opportunity to connect personally is often thought of as happening at the start of a sales call where rapport building is normally slotted, but there are opportunities to relate throughout the sales calls, from the opening through the close and into follow-up by listening for personal connection cues.

The internet is changing how customers buy, and often by the time the salesperson is in the picture customers have done extensive research. Most salespeople know this means they must be much more prepared and need to provide insight not just product knowledge. But even with increased preparation many still don’t prepare for rapport building. Just as customers leverage the internet, the internet has made preparing for rapport building much easier. Social networking sources such as LinkedIn not only provide referrals but also a wealth of information not only about prospects and new insights into customers salespeople feel they already know well.

One of the best ways to build personal rapport is to ask personal rapport questions, for example: “Congratulations on receiving the award. What an honor! When did you become involved with this charity?" It’s best to start rapport building with personal rapport, and if there is time, move on to business rapport, for example: “I read your blog on your company’s website and found … really eye-opening. When did the company transition to …?” Personal rapport almost always trumps business rapport as a connector. So if there is just time for one, go with personal, but rapport cues that you pick up “in the moment,” such as new photographs on your customer’s desk or a class picture on a prospect’s wall, almost always will take precedence over anything you’ve prepared. However, don’t depend on spontaneous cues being there when you need them.

While the opening of a call is a key time to establish rapport, there are other opportunities to strengthen rapport, for example:

Customer: “The X you mentioned is something I studied at Penn.”
Salesperson: “Oh you went to Penn, I didn’t realize that. What were you studying there?”
(Of course with sources such as LinkedIn, today the salesperson would know this.)

Use personal rapport as book ends for the call. Start with it and end with it, for example: “Thank you again. See you on the third. John went to Penn too and he’ll be very interested to know he shares an alma mater with you.”

Rapport is the vestibule to the relationship. Prepare for it. Pay attention to it. Don’t squander opportunities to connect, and establish the relationship that will make your customers buy from you.

Questioning
Of course you ask questions. Again the question is at what level of expertise. Whether it’s because salespeople believe their customers are too busy and/or don’t want to be asked questions, they see their role as the “expert” who is expected to provide answers even today, or they feel they are expected to come in with a “provocative” idea, many salespeople don’t ask enough questions.

Customers don’t want to be asked questions they feel you should have researched and with resources available on the internet and CRMs, research has never been easier. Customers also want salespeople to understand their needs and add value. They are keenly aware that for salespeople to add value, they must probe to get at trends not found in research such as what’s behind the strategy, customer’s decision-making process, or how the customer feels about competitors. Today’s customers feel they have unique needs because they face a new level of challenges. Customers want/demand to be heard and questions are the best way to give them that forum.

Research gets you ready to probe — and listen and probe some more so you can position solutions to customers’ pressing business issues. But research does not eliminate your need to gather information during the sales dialogue so that you can make your research meaningful to the customer. Questioning has the power to change the level of your sales conversations and the level of your relationship.

Just think about the questions you ask and the flow of the question. Do you plan out your key questions? By having a structure for how you will ask your questions, you will get more and deeper information in less time and make you conversations richer. A questioning structure helps you harness and maximize your product knowledge, your experience, and your personal style. When questions are scattered, sales conversations are scattered and so is the impression you make. The Explore Model (The Explore Model excerpt from Perfect Selling by Linda Richardson, McGraw-Hill — 2008) gives you a way to organize your questions and maximize your time.

The Explore Model has four parts or actions:
Action 1: Start with an Objective Question(s)and Drill Down
Your first question sets the tone. Technical questions lead to technical dialogues. Strategic questions lead to strategic dialogues. Both kinds of dialogues are needed but most salespeople only go as far as the technical dialogue. In doing so, they miss the chance to position themselves as strategic thinkers that solve business problems.

Do you want to be perceived as strategic or technical? Your first question makes a difference. By starting more broadly with an Objective Question you get an understanding of the big picture and the underlying business issues driving the specific need or product. Starting with technical questions positions you as a product provider or technical expert at best. Strategic questions create the impression of a potential business partner.

Try using the word “Objective” in your first question.

Example

Salesperson: “You mentioned in our phone call wanting to update your system. So I can focus on what is most important to you, may I ask your objectives for updating the system?” (not “Tell me about your current system?” or “What are you looking for in the new system?”)

Most customers respond to questions with general answers. Listen for broad and emotive words that you must clarify. Acknowledge those words and drill down, often with two or three drill-down questions, to get the critical information you need to develop a compelling solution.

Drill-down Example

Salesperson: “With your change in strategy, I understand how security issues are more of a priority. When you mention security across diverse business, can you tell me more about that?”

It often takes several drill-down questions to gain the full picture. Once you understand the initial objective your customer describes, probe for other objectives.

Example

Salesperson: “I understand your need to … system … security … May I ask what other objectives you’ve set?”
Action 2: Current Situation

With a full understanding of a customer’s objectives, move on to your current situation questions. Follow that by asking about the customer’s level of satisfaction with the current situation and then ask what the customer wants to change. And, of course, probe for details or ask, “Why?” when you get vague or general answers.

Example

Salesperson: “What system are you currently using in …?” or “How would you describe your current system …?” and then find out “What is working well …?” “What would you like to see changed …?”
Action 3: Technical Questions

With a clear picture of the customer’s objectives and current situation, probe to gain the technical information you need.

Example

– You mentioned … What type of …, How many…., How often …? How does … work now? What capabilities are important to you in …? What is working? What would you like to see changed?
Action 4: Future and Personal Needs

Take a moment to explore future needs so that you can further differentiate your solution.

Example

Salesperson: “May I ask what future needs or changes you anticipate so that we may take that into consideration in our recommendations?”

It takes sensitivity and attentive listening skills to pick up cues to understand your customer’s personal drivers. Listen for cues, use acknowledgment, and probe. Cues about personal needs can come up anywhere in the conversation in comments, tone of voice, or word emphasis.

Example

Customer: “Our president is focusing on this and I have a lot riding on the outcome.”

Salesperson: “I know how important this initiative is to you and that it has high visibility. We want to make this a success. May I ask what’s key for you in the outcome? Or if you have a closer relationship, I’d like to understand when you say ‘a lot riding on it’.”

As you Explore, you likely will learn about essential closing details, for example about the customer’s decision process, time frames, compelling event, and budget. If not, asks questions to gather this information.

Examples

Budget: “Once you review this, who will be involved in the decision process?”

Time Frames: “So we can be sure to meet your expectations, may I ask about your time frames for …?”

Compelling Event: “We want to meet your delivery requirements. May I ask why by the third quarter?”


Budget: “So that we can structure this appropriately, what budget have you set?”


2010 Relationship Building Pre and Post Call Checklist
 Prepare for Rapport
– Check your presence (dress, demeanor)
– Assess demeanor
– Do homework/use social networking sites
– Plan for personal rapport/business rapport
– Develop rapport questions
– Use acknowledgment/empathy
– Listen for opportunities throughout dialogue to continue rapport
– Conclude call on a note of personal rapport
 Use Explore Model to organize and prepare your questions
– Plan Your Questions
– Objective
– Current Situation
– Technical
– Future Needs
– Personal Needs
– Ask open-ended questions
– Go from broad to more narrow
– Drill down to clarify broad, vague words
– Acknowledge before asking your next question
– Preface questions with benefits to the customer or a rational to encourage customer to respond more fully
– Take notes


Summary

Almost nothing you do has the potential to increase your sales results as much as you’re improving the sales conversation you have with your customers. It bears repeating: The Relationship is the number one reason why your customers buy from you. Relating and Questioning skills are strong connectors to help you win more sales.
















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About: Linda Richardson


Linda Richardson is the founder and executive chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training business and the author of 10 books on selling and sales management. She is credited with the movement to consultative selling, which is the cornerstone of Richardson’s methodology. She has spearheaded such other innovations in the sales training industry as development of a comprehensive, integrated curriculum dedicated exclusively to sales and development of an interactive coaching-type training methodology.


Web: www.richardson.com


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