Relationship selling is all about connecting with people, cementing relationship with trust and continuing the relationship with them through a chain of value additions in their lives.
Here, we are introducing you to the 8 inevitable Cs in the process of relationship selling. At the outset, let us see the 8 inevitable Cs of relationship selling.
- Connecting
- Clarifying
- Caring
- Consulting
- Campaigning
- Convincing
- Closing
- Continuing
Connecting
Relationship selling begins with connecting. Connecting is all about connecting with people and building rapport with them. The people with whom you connect could be your suspect or prospect.
A suspect is one who will not engage with you for long. On, the other hand a suspect is one who shows interest and will tend to engage with you for a long time.
Clarifying
Clarifying involves asking questions both open and closed ones, as well as utilizing the technique called probing to understand the customer and to analyze his needs and wants. Clarification fetches clarity in the mind of the sales professional.
Caring
Show that you care by listening to your prospect. Effective sales will take place only if you let your prospect talk longer than you. He wants to be heard. The more you listen to your prospect, the more empathetic you are, the more you make him significant and the more you care. Caring will take place, when you have a sincere, open attitude to understand.
Consulting
Give your prospects, world class consulting. The care, with which you listen to your prospect, would definitely let you identify the wants, needs and the problems of the prospect. The sales professional should be able to create awareness amongst his prospect about the prospects needs and problems.
Once your prospect feels that he is in a problem, he will definitely be looking forward to you for solution. This is the time for your consultation, to educate him and advise him on how to come out of the problem.
Campaigning
If you do not campaign for your product and service, who else will?
Offering solutions to the problems through your product or service lets you go on a campaign.
Enlisting the benefits and advantages of your products and services through presentations or demonstrations is your way of campaigning in sales. Your presentations need to be persuasive.
Convincing
Success in sales is a convincing ability.
The campaign may not be all enough for a conversion to take place. You need to convince your prospect by overcoming objections, providing testimonials of delighted customers and offering value propositions over your competitor.
Closing
The Art of Asking for the order and getting the decision that you desire from the prospect is what closing the sales is about.
Continuing
Continuing is the process of maintaining good relationship with a customer by adding value to the customer by upselling and cross selling your products and services. In return, you get the continuing support and referrals from the customer.
Hope, the 8 inevitable Cs of relationship selling remains indelible in the minds of sales professionals.
