Selling Is Still About Relationships

In every stalled or lost deal there is a person (or persons) who opposed (or didn’t support) the salesperson and their sales organization. There is someone who wouldn’t engage with the salesperson or who wasn’t convinced of the value that they could create. Someone opposed this salesperson’s efforts because they supported the status quo or a competitor. There is someone who said “no” to some necessary commitment. And if the deal was lost, someone said “yes” to another salesperson.

In every advancing or won deal there is a person (or persons) who supported the salesperson and their sales organization. The were people within the company who engaged with the salesperson, and there are people who perceived the value of what that salesperson sells. This person preferred the salesperson, the sales organization, and their solution over their competitors. This person said “yes” to the commitments to move forward and, if the deal was won, they said “yes” to giving the salesperson their business.

Companies don’t buy what you sell. The people within those companies buy what you sell (or don’t buy what you sell, as the case may be).

All things being equal, relationships win. All things being unequal, relationships still probably win. Your job in sales is to make all things unequal by developing relationships of value. Your relationships are with the people within the four walls of your dream client company.