Unit 3: Relationship Development and Management
This unit centers on developing and maintaining customer relationships. As we have noted, relationships are a critical component of a sales practice. There are relationship development skills that you can use to help build positive and productive relationships with your customers.
Before jumping into the key elements of building solid customer relationships, we need to discuss how to make your initial connections. We begin with exploring sales territories and what you can expect from the type of sales you are doing. Then let's take a moment to complete an audience analysis (your customers) – a key element in preparing an effective presentation, which we detail in Unit 4 – by taking some time to understand buyers (our customers). In the last two segments of this unit, we shift our attention to listening skills and the basics of relationship development.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- explain how to find clients or customers;
- explain the importance of sales territories;
- recognize the characteristics of buyers through audience analysis;
- identify the different kinds of audience analysis;
- recognize the benefits of an audience analysis;
- explain the importance of listening; and
- describe how developing relationships can improve your sales approach.
3.1: Finding Prospective Customers and Sales Territories
When you begin serving a new sales territory, one of the most practical things to consider is the customers you will work with. Who are they? Knowing this information will help you understand their needs and the best way to connect with and meet them.
Read this brief text, which expands on the notion of a sales territory. Think about how we define a sales territory, such as where you live, to sell a familiar product or service.
This text offers a wealth of resources and ideas for finding and connecting with customers. Which strategies seem most valuable?
Inside sales uses digital technology to connect with customers. Watch this video on how to approach sales in the digital world.
Watch this video, which offers ways to define your territory by finding gaps in the market. It presents a practical approach to finding clients.
3.2: Audience Analysis
What is an audience analysis? How can it inform the messages you use to connect with your customers and other elements of your sales approach? After you have defined your sales territory, you need to learn about your audience's wants and needs. Understanding what your audience deems essential is critical for building a relationship and creating a successful sales approach.
Your research will also help you develop effective persuasive presentations, which we will explore in Unit 4. However, you should conduct an audience analysis every time you prepare to meet a new prospective client, not simply when you are creating a formal presentation. Remember that your customers' needs may change over time, and you may need to make some adjustments.
Let's take a moment and learn more about your prospects, their needs, purchasing drivers, and expectations. Read this buyer's guide to learn what your customers may be looking for.
As you read this chapter on audience analysis, consider how this approach helps you build a professional sales relationship. How will you tailor your sales pitch or presentation to different sales prospects or clients? What questions will you ask? What research should you conduct to identify the most important characteristics of your audience? How will you get the answers you seek?
- Watch this video for an overview of audience analysis. What do you think about your audiences? What has changed based on what you have learned here?
3.3: Practice Active Listening
Active listening is a vital skill for personal and professional relationships. Listen to your customers to identify what they need. Then think of how you and your business can meet those needs. Think about any business that has failed – it is probably because they neglected to listen to what their customers wanted, and a competitor was able to capitalize on this failure. Perhaps the needs of their clients changed after a couple of years. You should apply these techniques to any business and industry. In this section, we concentrate on how to develop your ability to listen well.
Watch this video on the power of listening. It offers clear, specific ideas for becoming a better active listener.
Read this text on how we listen to understand. It offers practical advice on how to listen to your clients.
3.4: Developing Customer Relationships
We have studied how to use what you learn about the customers to shape your approach. But how do you build a lasting relationship with your customers? Let's explore the role of relationships in the selling process.
This talk explores some of the critical aspects of relationship management in business.
Relationship building is an investment sales professionals make to increase sales. This article explains why developing relationships is essential. It offers ideas for how to begin the process.
Listen to this conversation on a specific channel you can co-opt to build relationships. For example, how can you use LinkedIn to create opportunities? How does this process translate to other channels?