Nurture Customer Relationships to Win B2B Sales

In today’s fast-paced, electronic world, it may seem like a waste of time and effort to build personal relationships as yet another component of your B2B sales strategy. All customers want is a good deal, so why bother building trust if the numbers add up, right?

Wrong.

B2B buyers are much more likely to do business with companies they have a strong personal connection with, reports the RAIN Group. Based on their survey of hundreds of B2B buyers, the most successful B2B sales winners built strong personal relationships with their customers at double the rate of sellers who didn’t invest in relationship building.

Clearly, building personal trust with your B2B customers is incredibly important to get the final sale. So, why is relationship building in sales today often overlooked?

Because these relationships tend to develop after a customer has determined your business value, not before, writes Mike Schultz of the RAIN Group. In other words, personalized attention and comped business lunches (à la Mad Men) might not get you a prospect’s initial attention at first, but they could get you the final sale in the end.

Developing relationships with your customers will not only help make a sale, it will also keep customers with you in the long run. When your customer values your business beyond mere economics, that’s when you have a solid B2B sales relationship you can count on.

Need high-level support for your B2B sales and marketing? Get in touch to schedule a complimentary strategy session today!