Being Present in Customer Relationships

Customer relationships are the lifeblood of any sellers’ career. The ability to attract clients, build rapport, and develop sales conversations ultimately determines the level of success that a salesperson will enjoy.

Clearly Hughes Network Systems has taken this to heart in being honored as a "Top Performer" in 2019 SD-WAN Customer Success Report. What really impressed me about this award was that it’s based on authenticated customer case studies and testimonials. In other words, the success that their clients achieved, not what Hughes thought their clients achieved.

At Neuberger & Co. we strive to do the same by defining our success by the successes that our clients achieve. That can be a challenging mindset because it requires the team to always remain present. That means being a true partner that is aware of a client’s key performance indicators and being engaged in helping them to achieve their objectives.

The quickest way to sour a client relationship is to appear to be acting only in your own self-interest. This often appears to be the case when salespeople only interact with their clients when they want them to make a purchase. This mistake will deteriorate your relationships quickly and greatly reduce your chances of earning repeat-business. To combat this negative trend, invest yourself in your client’s interests. Learn the ins and outs of their challenges and determine how you can be of service and a valued partner outside of just selling to them.

The more ways that you can separate yourself from the stereotypical sales process and allow your clients to see you in a helpful and mutually beneficial role, the better chance you’ll have to build rapport and grow your relationship.

Today’s sellers need to be more attentive to their clients’ needs than ever, and the stronger their bonds are, the more likely they are to be of service.