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Have you ever had something or someone get under your skin – stuck in your head and you can’t think of anything else? That’s been me since I shared a Smashing Pumpkins song last week – I started listening to their album Siamese Dream again – such an influential album for me as I was trying to build an indie music career waaaay back in the ’90s!

The song Hummer blew my mind – cool intro, huge guitars, cool riffs, great dynamics, and an awesome outro section that still gets me choked up when I hear it. So many emotions, memories – I just love this song, and love sharing it! Songs like this have special meaning, and I associate them with people and places that mean a lot to me.

Give it a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week… I hope you enjoy it!

Avoiding Regret in Relationships

My friend and colleague Dave Inglis posted something the other day that really got me thinking… how do we invest in the relationships that matter most to us? And more importantly, how can we create urgency to invest in those relationships?

Thinking through those relationships and identifying how much time you have left with those specific people is important. It could be how many more birthdays you’ll have to celebrate with that person. How many more chances to get a burrito at that favorite lunch spot. How many more times to listen to music and talk about life!

And of course, when you frame it that way, you create that sense of urgency to ensure that relationship gets the appropriate attention!

Now, what if we do the same with our customers? How do we invest in those customer relationships that matter most to us?

We talk a lot about Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs), customer retention and customer success. But when we look at those client relationships and REALLY think about their value to us – perhaps we would start to treat them differently? Maybe we’d change how we treat our clients if we realized there was a definite end date to the relationship!

Sometimes you need to decide that your customer is a prize… time to renew and revive!

Investing in the (Music) Relationships that Matter Most

Speaking of investing in the relationships that matter most, this article from Hypebot shows how being a fan today can be expensive, complicated… and you’re being manipulated!

China’s recent crackdown on fandom has shone a light on the dark underbelly of the global fandom machine. Corporations have industrialized, leveraged – and even exploited – fan psychology to extract every possible penny from fanbases. This has manipulated fans to become dedicated to the extreme, leading to the crackdown. And this could very well lead to similar movements the world over in the same direction.

But what is the silver lining in all this? As Alan Cross explains, the Chinese music apps illustrate how much more can be achieved with experiences that are built around the music, rather than relying on only the music itself to be the experience.

As B2B marketers, maybe that should be our takeaway from this. You can build a fanbase with a great product or service. But if you can build an experience around your offering – something that engages and excites your customers – then your fans will become more loyal, more passionate, and more numerous!

So ask yourself a question… How can we transform our customers’ experience to ensure that they’re happier than they’ve ever been?

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat

The post Avoid Regret – Invest in the Relationships that Matter Most! appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

1. Know your goals

You can’t achieve goals if you don’t set any. They provide long-term vision and short-term motivation.

By setting out Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals you can motivate and challenge yourself to reach and even surpass those goals. Not only will this help you be a better salesperson, but you can take pride in the achievement of your goals. Even if they are small, they’ll help you see the forward progress you’ve made.

2. Keep organized

Staying organized will help you be more productive and save time. Use a CRM tool to keep track of leads as well as customer data and interactions so it’s on hand for when you need it. Make use of a scheduling assistant such as Plann3r when scheduling meetings and calls to find the perfect time-slot for everyone.

3. Believe in what you are selling

Of course, it’s important to be well informed about the company you work for. But more importantly, really believing in the product or service you are offering can make a world of difference. If you’re passionate about what you’re selling, it becomes that much easier to convince others that it’s something they need, especially if it’s something that’s going to make their job easier. If you want your customers to engage with you, it’s important that they feel your passion for the product. You’ll find that your excitement is contagious and that’s a great way to have them champion the investment.

4. Listen more than you speak (Start a conversation, not a pitch!)

Reading off a script or running a sales pitch certainly saves a lot of time and is much easier than carrying on a conversation. By starting a conversation, you are taking the pressure off the customer and lowering the likelihood of them feeling annoyed, intimidated, or overloaded with information. By listening more than you speak you will get a better idea of what it is the customer is looking for. As a result, you will be able to find a solution that better fits their needs rather than offering them something they might not want. This will help to provide a more positive experience for the customer and increase the likelihood of making a sale.

Remember the old saying: you were given two ears and one mouth, so be sure to listen twice as much as you talk.

5. Constantly build and maintain relationships

Customers are a company’s greatest asset. Without them, there is nobody to buy your product. The relationships you build with current and potential customers are priceless. Remain honest and authentic, and show genuine concern for their needs. Once the customer is engaged with you and you’re moving through the sales process, you should work on maintaining that relationship. If they’re satisfied with the service you provided they will look forward to continuing to do business with you or returning to do business in the future.

6. View the customer’s success as your own

Happy customer = happy manager = happy salesperson. When you sell a product or service, you should see this success not only as the customer’s, but also as your own. This is a chance to see what you did right (or did wrong) in your sales journey. This is also a great opportunity to seek feedback from the customer for your benefit, and for the benefit of the company.

These tips might not be for everyone, and following them isn’t a guarantee to make you a better salesperson. But adding some of these to your routine and changing things up a little may prove to be beneficial to your overall strategy.

What are some of your tips to up your game and become a more effective salesperson? Let me know!

Marlene Keay, Senior Manager, Business Development | marlenek@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/marlenekeay

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