Close Close
Sign In
Newsletters
Popular Financial Topics Discover relevant content from across the suite of ALM legal publications From the Industry More content from ThinkAdvisor and select sponsors Investment Advisor Issue Gallery Read digital editions of Investment Advisor Magazine Tax Facts Get clear, current, and reliable answers to pressing tax questions
Luminaries Awards
Podcast Center Video Center Webcasts Resource Center Events
About ThinkAdvisor Contact Us Advertise With Us Asset & Logo Licensing Sitemap Terms of Service Privacy Policy Copyright © 2024 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
ThinkAdvisor

Life Health > Running Your Business

Is Relationship Selling Dead?

By Jill Konrath

X
Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Have you noticed that prospects these days are quick to brush you off? They don’t seem to have time for chit-chat. Even your best customers don’t have time to meet with you anymore. They’re crazy busy, struggling to survive in a frenetic workplace. The truth is, they don’t need another relationship. They barely get to see their best friends anymore.

So, in one respect, relationship selling is indeed dead. But here’s the good news: Underneath all that get-to-the-point behavior and failure to return your calls is a normal human being who desperately wants relationships with people who can help them achieve their work objectives.

Valuable Resource

That person could be you. But having a good relationship is simply no longer enough. Instead, you need to focus on being an invaluable resource. You have to constantly bring your prospects and clients ideas, insights and information to help them run their businesses better. You have to ensure that all your communications with them are relevant to what they’re trying to achieve, that you are focused on their priorities.

This is a real shift. Being likeable is no longer sufficient. You have to bring value, so that every meeting they have with you has some form of benefit to them. What you bring to them should be so worthwhile that they are willing to pay for it. And, when you do that, you’ll have tons of great—and highly productive—relationships.

Sign up for The Lead and get a new tip in your inbox every day! More tips:

Jill Konrath is the author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies. If you’re struggling to set up meetings, click here to get a free Prospecting Tool Kit. 

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.