Professional Selling

Humber – The Business School

Steve Bang
Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Partnering Striving to build a “Lifetime Customer”

- Personal selling must be viewed as a process not
an event.
 Relationship built on Shared Values

 Everyone understands the purpose of the

partnership and is committed to the vision

 The role of the salesperson must move from selling

to supporting
Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Relationship Strategies Focus on 4 Key Groups

1. Customers
2. Secondary Decision Makers
3. Company Support Staff
4. Management Personnel
Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Self-Concept: The bundle of facts, opinions, beliefs

and perceptions about yourself that are present in
your life every moment of every day.
 Focus on the future and not past mistakes

 Develop expertise in selected areas

 Learn to develop a positive personal attitude

“We often sabotage our own success by adopting limiting beliefs”

Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

The Win-Win Philosophy

Win-lose people
 See a problem in every solution

 Fix the blame

 Let life happen to them

 Live in the past

 Make promises they never keep

Win-win people
 Help others solve their problems

 Fix what caused the problem

 Make life a joyous happening for others and themselves

 Learn from the past, live in the present and set goals for the future

 Make commitments to themselves and to others and keep them both

Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Empathy and Ego Drive

 Need to obtain critical feedback from

the client through empathy

 Ego Drive is the inner force that makes

the salesperson want and need to make

the sale
Character and Integrity
 Character is a set of personal standards including

honesty, integrity and moral strength

 Integrity is achieving congruence between what you

know, what you say and what you do

Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Projecting an Image
 Voice – tone, volume, speed of delivery, speech

pattern, speech habits/language

 Nonverbal – facial expressions, gestures, posture

 Appearance – simplicity, appropriateness and

quality
 Etiquette – avoid first names and offensive

comments or stories, be punctual, discuss business

after the meal, clear messages on voice mail, shut
off your phone/blackberry
Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

The Handshake

1. Maintain Eye Contact

2. Firm but not overpowering
3. Depth of interlock
4. Duration – 2 pumps max
5. Dry hands are essential
Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Relationship Enhancing Conversation Strategies

 Become generally interested in the other person

 Be a good listener and encourage others to talk

about themselves
 Talk in terms of the other person’s interest

 Observant salespeople are aware of things going

on around them (relating to the customer

or the environment) and use these as
ice breakers
 It is OK to compliment your customer
Selling Today – Chapter 4
Creating Value with a Relationship Strategy

Strategies for Self Improvement

1. Set goals – A clear, written statement outlining
what you want to accomplish
2. Use Visualization – Form a mental image of the
desired end state
3. Use Positive Self-Talk – Talk to yourself in an
effort to override past negative mental
programming
4. Reward your progress – Do something
special for yourself when you
notice improvement