Bullet-proof your client's loyalty

Every book I’ve ever read on B2B sales stresses the importance of building relationships with your prospects and customers. This is great advice! It’s also worthless. The problem is that most authors don’t give you any practical tips on how to do it. It would be like a track coach telling you that to beat Usain Bolt in the 200-meter dash, “You need to run faster than him.” Great advice, just worthless (Especially to me, I might not make it 200 meters!)

Listen, I couldn’t agree more that relationships are king! All things being equal, people want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. All things not being equal, people still want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. So how are you going to develop these relationships? I’m glad you asked! Here are my top 9 tips to help you transition from just another salesperson, to the enviable position of being a trusted advisor.

• Get off the phone…..at least half of your prospecting time. Using the phone as a tool to set appointments with prospects is very valid, but it has its limitations. I can tell a lot more about a prospective client just by walking in their front door. What is the energy level like? Are the employees friendly or surly? Are the business thriving, or has it been 25 years since their last coat of paint? Besides, it’s much harder for them to dismiss you out of hand in person than on the phone.
• Get face time…..with the owner/CEO. Often after the decision maker has given his or her blessing, we are handed off to the HR staff or Office Manager. If we are not intentional with our actions the person that gave us permission could forget we exist. Don’t believe me? I almost lost a case when an agent from my carrier was told by the owner that they hadn’t seen their agent in two years. Well, that agent was me. And I had literally been in his business every month, to see new hires, from the time I opened them as an account. He just hadn’t seen me. Since then I have made it a habit to just poke my head in the door of the owner every single time I am at his business. I also make sure that I have a formal meeting once a year to update him on the results we are achieving for his business.
• Hone your listening skills…..and not just so you know when it’s your turn to talk. Nothing will separate you more convincingly from your competition than showing your prospects and clients that you are paying attention to their needs and concerns. If you want to alienate them suggest something to them, that they told you they didn’t want the last time you were there. Unfortunately, I’ve been there, done that in this category. I promise you, it will make you feel like an idiot.
• Don’t be a stranger…..or make them get a restraining order either. How often is too often to follow up with a prospect or visit a client? My advice is, “Probably way more times than you are going in now.” Worst-case scenario: They already have every product and service they can possibly buy from you, and there hasn’t been a new-hire employee in 10 years. They still deserve to see your smiling face at least 4 times per year. And don’t go in empty handed. Take them donuts, or candy, or some company trinkets. SOMETHING!!! They are great customers and deserve to know how much you appreciate them.
• Never lie…..or exaggerate…..or over-promise. If you can’t meet their requirements, let them know. It should go without saying, but since the advent of social media, the irate customer can ruin your reputation in the community at the speed of bits. You can’t afford the negative attention, nor do you want it.
• Discretion…..really is the better part of valor. Often times you will be working inside of a particular niche of businesses. In fact that may be why you got the appointment in the first place. You walked in and said, “I work with ABC Welding, XYZ Welding, and LMNOP Welding. They love me! Do you want to know why?” (My first manager, David Stewart taught me this trick. I thought he was nuts, but I tried it and it worked!!! I’ve used it to set dozens of appointments over the years and if done properly, it is devastatingly powerful.) Because you work with several of this guy’s competitors he may ask you to reveal information about them. I’ve been put in this awkward position multiple times. Each time I have simply said, “I really can’t discuss anyone else’s business without their permission. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me telling them about your shop. That’s fair isn’t it?”
• Maintain a positive attitude…..even if they don’t. I don’t care if you are having the worst day of your career when asked how it is going just simply say, “How could it be bad? I’m calling on one of my favorite clients!” I can’t tell you how many times I have seen agents over-share their problems, ailments, challenges, and baggage with the office manager or decision maker. Yes, I get it. You’ve had a bad day. Your dog got run over by the garbage truck 3 days after you spent $2,000 on his hip surgery. Let me clue you in on a little secret: 80% of the people you are telling your troubles to DON’T CARE. The other 20%? They’re secretly happy you are having challenges!!! This advice is especially challenging to remember when the person you are talking to is a Debbie Downer herself. She almost goads you into trying to show her that your life is way tougher than hers. DON’T DO IT! Seriously, If you are really that depressed, stay home. The last thing your client wants is your baggage. Trust me, they have enough problems of their own.
• Clients come first…..or they shouldn’t be your client. You get paid in exact proportion to the value and service you bring your client. In other words, you need to serve them. What do you think of when you hear the word servant? Is it someone who put their own needs first? What if your clients is a jerk? Trust me, I’ve had my share of jerk clients. There are times that the old adage, “The customer is always right.” is pure B.S. When that happens, you must evaluate if someone else might be better suited to serve them. If so, introduce them to your client. If not, fire the client. I’ve done it twice and it was incredibly liberating. If you are ever in a position that putting the client’s needs ahead of your own is going to be untenable, you might need to fire the client.
• Don’t forget…..the little people. Your relationships inside an organization will make or break you long-term. If you have a phenomenal relationship with the owner but haven’t taken the time to develop trust anywhere else in their organization, you might be in for a rude awakening. One of my favorite and most profitable clients sold his business one day, completely out of the blue. No one, and I mean no one, inside of his company had a clue it was coming. The new owners brought me in to fire me about two weeks after the deal closed. It seems that their nephew worked for one of my competitors. Fortunately, the employees got wind of what was happening and stepped in to save me. I had worked very diligently developing relationships with the Office Manager, the HR Director, and the 8 crew foreman. Additionally, I had over-delivered on my promises to many of their frontline employees while helping them navigate the claims process. Every time I walked in there, I felt like Norm at Cheers. (If you don’t get that reference, I’m worried about your generation.) The owners quickly realized that I wasn’t just one of their vendors, I was part of their organization. I made the lives of their staff better and easier. Can your clients say that about you?

Conclusion: You are only as good as your relationships. There is not a single thing on your “To Do” list that is as important as fostering loyalty through service.

Question: What are some of the things I missed that you do to develop bullet-proof relationships?

I really want to know! Continue the conversation below. I promise to reply personally and promptly to every comment or email.

p.s. If you want to see a great smile check out Usain Bolt’s face, when he realizes how fast he just ran, by clicking on his picture above!