So much has been written and bandied about these….
And, there is an intriguing association built between them, in an almost intelligent-sounding way!
I am surprised at how we have accepted this inference without subjecting it to a simple test of validity in the usage.
Firstly, Relationships are not like a menu item obtained by clicking on a drop-down menu and is not served at a QSR… (you could perhaps try subscribing to it by calling a 1-800 number and getting your first installment of relationship by mail-order!).
Extending hospitality & cordiality is not to be confused with Relationship unless you have nothing else to relate with!
If you think having coffee & gifting will earn relationships, it could serve well for you to become a waiter.
Much emphasis is placed on knowing the customer’s favourite restaurant, dog's name or their holiday destination…
You would be seriously hallucinating if that amounted to Relationships! Simply because, there are plenty of bots in town which are recording all of that for no good reason to customer other than helping the marketeer send more mailers or popups!
If it were to work, will we see apps & teams for Customer Faith Management (CFM) or Customer Love Management (CLM)? So, go figure.
The buyer has lot more information, lot more options, lot more needs to fulfil and a good lot of governance to catchup, with all the traditional ways of procurement!
So many of us chase the buyer and everyone is eager to make a business. (any sale will do, actually. Thank you very much)
How do you expect salesperson to 'build the relationship’ and, if you indeed do – What would it be? What could you expect from it? How much time-effort would you want to invest into it?
Would you rather that the relationship is with the business, its offerings and the experience which gets built around it? Sales can enable the development of that Relationship.
You wouldn’t want Salespersons to lose their effectiveness when they use actual Relationships and you also don’t want to lose the Relationships with moving Salespersons. And, if Salespersons can move with Relationships – you can be certain that it wont be with you too, for any good time!
Does it serve the purpose, to term a combination of - prospect sensitivity + emotional correspondence + prospect connect - as, 'Relationship'?
If so, does Sales follow such an effort or Sales is the beginning of a Relationship?
info@SBSdimensionS.com
SANJAYA HASTHAK
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