blog-header

    The Progress Coaching Blog

    Coaching Your Sales Team to Build GREAT Client Driven Relationships

    August 23, 2013 Posted by : Tim Hagen
    1 comments

    describe the image

    I recently met with a client's sales team and about half of the team shared, unsolicited, that sales comes down to relationship building. I agree with that comment but when I asked them a simple coaching question the room went silent!

     

    "What have you done in the past 30 days that was "action-based" in regard to deepening and expanding  a specific client relationship", I asked. NO ONE SAID A THING !!! Guess what its typical. Most of us think we have relationships we don't really have!

     

    I then asked the group how many of you have sent a thank you card or something of interest to a client in past 30 days. One hand went up. Some of the team members had the classic audacity to say "We're really busy in our industry". Guess what we re all busy ... lame excuse in my estimation.

     

    OK here comes the big slap in the face. I asked the team to close their eyes and to hear a story. I began to explain and illustrate a sales person in great theatrical detail who sent thank you cards, articles of interest specific to their clients, performed random acts of kindness, etc. Some of the team began to smirk or smile as they thought I was about to ask them wouldn't that be great if you did this. I did the opposite. I said I was just describing your competitor. Now how do you feel? The room of sales people looked shocked, concerned, and maybe even bewildered a little bit. The point is great sales professionals should build walls around their clients with GREAT relationship building that is "action-based" and it is the Sales Leader's duty to drive this !

     

    Relationship Building Event That May Interest You

    https://relationshipsellingsystem.eventbrite.com/

     

     

     

    Curbside Coaching Part Three: Step Three and Learning Projects
    The Relationship Conundrum: Part II

    About Author

    Tim Hagen
    Tim Hagen

    Tim Hagen founded Progress Coaching, a Training Reinforcement Partner Company, in 1997. His entrepreneurial career began in college leading to positions in sales, sales management, and sales training for small and large corporations, and eventually ownership of several training companies. Tim is often a keynote speaker at companies teaching the value of coaching and conversations in the workplace. He possesses a unique combination of hands-on experience, academics, and innovative insight to solve the industry’s most common challenges specific to workplace performance. Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in Adult Education and Training from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

    Related Posts
    Breaking Down Resistance to Coaching
    Save Time Selling ... Things are Changing Fast for Sales Teams
    What The Heck Are My Sales People Doing Inside The Sales Funnel?

    Leave a Reply