Relational Sales – The importance of relationships

You can’t escape relationships. As humans we of course are creatures of relationships. We live and love and learn through relationships. It is fascinating to watch organizations miss this important factor in their sales processes and plans.

People.

Relationships.

The concept of relational sales.

If you win a deal, it was a person on the other end of that transaction. There were people inside that organization that bought into the value the sales person described. Someone signed on the dotted line and approved that sale.

Conversely in every deal that is stalled, there is someone on the other end of that decision. There is someone that didn’t agree with the sales person who described the value of the product. There is someone who didn’t support the sale. And if the deal is lost, it is a person on the other end who made the final decision.

Simon Sinek coined the term that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. The same can be said for sales.

Companies don’t buy what you are selling. It is the PEOPLE within those companies that buy what you sell.

Relational Sales.

Relationships and people are still a vital asset to your sales plans and processes. As a sales person your job should ultimately be developing relationships and creating value for those people.

Don’t leave people out of the process of sales. Don’t forget that your job, even more important than sales scripts and pitches, is to cultivate relationships and add value. Your sales will ultimately rise or fall on the people that you are have relationships with. How well you cultivate those relationships, and how well you honour that connection.

In a world that is becoming more and more connected online, the human connection, the personal touch, will become MORE important not less. Relational Sales will become a term that continues to apply to sales in the future.

People matter.

Relationships are important.

Put people before process and you will see your sales soar.