There's a prevailing trend in the world of sales that claims relationship selling is dead. Some argue that customers are already 67% through the sales process before even talking to a salesperson, rendering relationships irrelevant. However, Liz Heiman disagrees. In complex business-to-business sales or even personal sales, relationship is everything. If a customer is making a big investment that will impact their organization, they need to trust the people selling to them. People still buy from people they trust. If a salesperson is not trustworthy, customers will look elsewhere.

Although the way people research and make purchasing decisions has changed, relationships still matter. People do a tremendous amount of research before talking to a salesperson, but if a salesperson gets to them before they start doing the research and helps them understand the solution, they will trust the salesperson in making the decision.

A good fit and the right solution are still crucial, but people always matter. Liz  highlights that if a salesperson doesn't pay attention to the relationship, somebody else will, and when it's time to make the decision, someone else will be there. Relationships are not dead in sales, but they have changed. It's important to be kind, curious, and compassionate, and to hire trustworthy salespeople. Relationships matter, and how people feel about you matters. Don't let the relationship go unnoticed, or someone else will take advantage of it.

Episode Highlights

01:46 - Yes, it has to be a good fit.  Yes, it has to be the right solution.  But people matter.  People always matter.  And I have customers that they have a two or three year sales cycle, that relationship matters over that time.  And if you let that relationship go and don't pay attention to it, somebody else is going to go make a relationship and when it's time to make the decision, somebody else is going to be in there.  So yes, it matters.  You matter as an owner, as a salesperson, anybody, you matter.  How people feel about you matters.  You need to be kind and curious and compassionate and all of those things.  It matters.

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