An introduction to the importance of Relationships in Key Account/Solution Sales

1. Customer
Relationship
Management
An introduction to the importance of
Relationships in Key Account/Solution
Sales

2. What is Relationship Management?
A practice aiming to create a partnership
between the organization and its customer rather
than render the relationship merely transactional.
 Customers are more likely to buy what you have to
offer.
 Makes you develop repeat-sales in your accounts

3. Relationship Management is
Crucial
 Only 37% of companies received good or excellent customer experience scores in
2012
 64% of companies got an “OK”, “poor” or “very poor” rating
 89% of consumers switched to a competitor after a negative experience

4. External Relationship Management
External Relationship Management
 Customers are busy
 They talk. Be ready to listen
 They don’t always believe you. Stay
true.
 They do their own research/Don’t lie
 What they do matters
 They will talk about you. Let them be
your best source.

5. Internal Relationship Management
Internal Relationship Management
 Co-workers are busy
 They know their jobs
 They talk, be ready to learn
 They don’t always believe you.
Prove it.
 They actually know the score. Be
honest.
 What you do matters. Own it.
 They will talk about you. Be your
best source.

6. Positive Relationship
Management Principles
 Treat your customers right – genuinely interact
 Continuously learn from customers
 Always listen: Allows you to Handle different customers appropriately
 Anticipate customers needs
 Treat customers as partners to increase your value

7. Positive Relationship
Management Principles
 Increase trust by being open about change, good or bad
 Be transparent and honest
 Follow through on commitments
 Remember the customer is always right
 Say thank you. Kindness overcomes errors

8. Steps to Managing
Relationships
 Identify the problem
 Listen
 Empathize
 Repeat/clarify
 Identify and Offer solution
 Get agreement on the solution
 Monitor Results
 Keep commitment if you’re part of solution
 If not, check on them after the fact

9. Principals for Managing
Negative Relationships
 Allow the customer to “get it all out”
 Interrupting says I don’t care
 Beware of non-verbal and body language
“messages”
 Choose positive wording/tone wherever
possible
 Here’s how we can help
 I’d be happy to assist
 When needed, clarify as a way to interrupt
 “Let me see if I understand”
 “Wow. That must have been…”

10. Principals for Managing
Negative Relationships
 Practice seeing the other perspective.
 “I understand what you’re saying.”
 “I know you feel”
 Never over-react or make it personal
 It’s all that’s remembered, even if you fix the
problem
 The “WIN” is in resolution, not in being right
 Win the point, lose the customer

11. Steps to Resolving Negative
Situations
 Identify the problem
 Listen
 Empathize
 Repeat/clarify
 Identify and Offer solution
 Get agreement on the solution
 Monitor Results
 Keep commitment if you’re part of solution
 If not, check on them after the fact

12. Review of Relationship
Management
 It’s a process
 It’s the basis for good customer engagement
 Businesses suffer when they get this wrong
 Key to banking relationships
 Key to your personal success
 Positive and negative relationship management are very
similar
 It separates you from the masses