Don’t Sell “Stuff”… Sell the Relationship

When people hear the term “sales person” or “sales representative”, they typically look the other way or back up… no one likes to be “sold to”…

It is no secret that people love to purchase products that they love, want and sometimes even need 🙂 but when it comes to working in sales, it is important to understand that no one wants to be sold to…

I have only been in sales for a little over a year, but what I have come to learn is that people are more willing to purchase from someone they know, or someone that an acquaintance knows.

A perfect example of this was brought up at a sales discussion at the PMMI, Annual Sales Meeting this November. When looking for a good plumber, people ask their local friends, families, and neighbors for a recommendation.

While equipment sales may seem different in that I am not running around saying,

Wanna buy a watch?!?!?

I am still faced with the reality that not everyone understands what they need or why they might need it.

I am incredibly fortunate to have been trained by Felins in:

• Who are we?
• Where do we come from?
• Why we are we the way we are?
• What is difference between our equipment and other equipment?

Then, I  started to research:

• What are the pain points of my customers?
• How do I speak their language?
• What motivates them and sustains them?
• Who are my customers?
• What do they need?

 

At the end of the day, my passion for our equipment and company culture, tied with my passion for the customer, started leading to my desire to network and become a knowledgeable resource in the food industry. Through active networking and a growing understanding of what my customers and potential customers might need, I am able to have a conversation, and build a relationship with companies and individuals in the food industry.

Relationships go both ways… you listen, you learn, you understand, and you grow with them. In sales, you must have an imagination. You must be able to hear what your customer is saying, understand why they need it, and then think outside of the box to understand if you can truly provide them with what they need.

After all, you wouldn’t sell peanuts to someone with a peanut allergy would you? Of course not!!! … listen to what they need, and do everything in your power to provide them with just that!

I believe in the sustainability of our business, the sustainability of our relationships with our customers, and the sustainability of our customer’s businesses.

I am confident that our solutions can truly help our customers and I know that in me supporting their business, understanding their pain points, and listening to what they need, there will be a time in which our equipment IS the solution to their problems and the sale is complete.

At the end of the day, a company wants to purchase from a company that they can have an ongoing relationship with, trust, and grow with. When you can give your customer just that, you are not selling “just stuff”, you are selling them the relationship!

 

Read more about Some Spice in Your Life with sustainable relationships!!