In order to be a skillful salesperson it’s essential to understand your client’s behavior and personality as well as their particular needs and preferences in relating to you. A successful salesperson is always trying to “figure out people.” It’s helpful to understand the psychology of communication. Your own success will be enhanced when you show a client that you are truly interested in working with them, and that you want to build a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship.

Understanding Your Clients

Make relationships part of your success. Each client is unique, and you must adapt your style to help them feel comfortable working with you. It is your job to figure out each client’s personality and their style of doing business. It’s also important to observe behavior and to find out what each client expects of you. Relationship strategy is a huge part of selling, and the most effective salespeople work hard to understand each client and their needs. For example, some clients want to communicate mostly by e‑mail, some want you to call them often, and others want you to keep calls to a minimum. It’s up to you to determine which method works best for each client.

As you are getting to know each client, ask how they want you to work with them. Your goal is to satisfy your client and the only real way to do this is to be up-front and ask. Most clients will appreciate your candor and will respect the fact that you are working hard to gain their trust and their business. Let them know that working with you will make their job easier.

Working with clients may seem like a long-term study in human behavior. Like all people, clients will sometimes respond differently to you, depending on their mood or what may be going on in their daily life. Although unusual or unpredictable behavior is just part of the picture and to be expected, pay attention when your clients are acting in a way you are not accustomed to. Sometimes you must be the one to change your behavior when a client doesn’t seem “normal.” For example, if a client is usually very relaxed when you meet them, but on a specific occasion they seem somewhat anxious, make your appointment very short. Perhaps they have a deadline or some other pressing issue that needs their attention. Whatever you do, don’t drive your clients nuts.

You will never get along with all clients — I have learned this from more than 30 years in sales. Accept this. Do your best to get along and when some clients are impossible to deal with, cut them loose. They will never be worth the anxieties they cause you.

Relationship-Building Skills

As a salesperson, part of getting along well with others is that you must be aware of your own psychology, your own behavior, and your own state of mind. Are you in more of a hurry than you normally are? What is going on in your life that is causing you to behave differently some days? Understand that your own behavior may affect how positively a client responds to you. Pay attention to body language during a conversation. The key to effective relationships is for you as the salesperson to be aware of your client’s behavior (verbal and non-verbal). If building an important relationship seems to be challenging, try changing your attitude toward the person or the situation.

Along with understanding your clients and their needs, it’s necessary to also figure out everything you want to know about projects they are working on that may require your products. However, maybe a client does not want to give you all the details, maybe they have been working with a competitor, or maybe they are kind of a private person or prefer confidentiality. You must, in a very professional way, talk to others at the same company and find out about upcoming projects that may present an opportunity to sell your products.

It is just a fact of life in a busy world that if you make inquiry phone calls or send introductory or inquiry e-mails, some potential clients will not answer you. They are busy and you are last on their list of priorities. Being pleasant and friendly with the receptionist can bring you good results in meeting the people you need.

When you are on the phone, be relaxed, and even smile. People can tell the difference, and it makes a big difference in how they respond to you. Practice your talking by looking in the mirror. Be brief with clients when you talk — get them to talk more than you talk. Sometimes this is difficult for salespeople but try to let the client do most of the talking. Humor can help to make it much easier to sell to some clients. However, a few clients can’t seem to smile — be careful with them. Above all, don’t argue. You want your client to feel good about you and to know that you sincerely have their interest at heart.

Selling Solutions

Educate your clients about your products and other resources that may be helpful to them. Be a source of information, not just a salesperson. Many potential clients may want to have a better understanding about your industry so that they feel better informed before making a purchase. They will remember you for being more than just a salesperson. When you are showing product samples to a client, for example, it’s important to ask them if what you are showing them is what they are actually looking for. Their answers will give you insight into other options to show them. The more you learn about their interests and preferences, the better you are able to provide specific products to meet their particular needs.

Build your relationships with solutions to meet your client’s needs. Assure them that you can provide solutions for the specific issue they have, and demonstrate this with examples of solutions.

Good Communication

Good communication is a priority for maintaining relationships. It is your job — not the customer’s — to initiate most communications. Never leave a customer waiting to know the status of anything such as product availability or the expected delivery date for any order. When your client has all the information you have about the status of a product or a purchase, and related concerns, they will be happy in the long run because they are informed and being kept in the loop. A major concern in having a satisfied client is the client not knowing what you are doing and worrying about when you will get back to them.

If you do not have some required information on the date you said you would, contact them and let them know. Don’t be concerned that they might be angry if something is late or if there is some other problem. Calmly let them know that you are doing your best to resolve the issue. Also, let them know that you are helping them get exactly what they need to suit their particular situation. Remind them that solving problems is part of the service you provide. Also, always keep your client informed about updated technical information on the product and about new products.

Early in my sales career I learned that creating long-term, strategic relationships is useful for gathering referrals as well as building my base of repeat clients. As part of your routine communication with customers, have honest conversations with them and tell them you want to improve. Ask their opinions, listen and take notes. This direct approach will build the relationship and build the client’s confidence as well.

Responding to Complaints, Maintaining Integrity

Every relationship has bumps along the road. Be prepared for these and know, or find out, how to resolve them. Know your own strengths and weaknesses and write them down. Control and try to improve your weaknesses and focus mostly on your strengths. Make conducting business with you easy and fun.

Good relationships earn you strong letters of recommendation — the more the better. Sometimes clients may prefer that you compose the letter and they will approve it and print it on their letterhead. What do you do with these letters? Put excerpts on your website, on your social media pages, in mailers and brochures. Put the original letters in your portfolio to show new prospects.

Good results can come out of a bad situation. For example, if you find that the product the customer ordered has been discontinued, you may find an alternative product that meets the customer’s needs in an even better way. Turn negatives into positives; change your own attitude. Be calm; sit and talk to your customer about the apparent problem. When you lose an order, stop and think what you could have done differently. Ask the customer why they went with someone else. They will probably let you know. Tell them you want to improve so you can get the next order.

Most ongoing clients will get angry at you at some point. Often you or your agency did nothing wrong. If you have a client that is upset as a result of something you (apparently) did or the customer thinks you did, you will also hear about it. When you upset a customer, arrange a face-to-face meeting to discuss their concerns. Let them know that you want to understand what you did to make them uneasy. Listening attentively to their concerns and repeating their concerns back to them demonstrates that you understand their point of view.

After you totally understand your customer’s concerns — right or wrong — share your thought about what they said. Usually it is beneficial to repeat back what they expressed to you so they know you understand their position and what the issue is about. You do not need to agree with them, but listen and acknowledge their concerns and needs. If the client is not willing to communicate, and you are not informed about what is going on, the situation can lead to additional misunderstandings and problems. Send a note letting them know that you feel there is a problem and that you would appreciate them telling you what it is so you can improve.

Salespeople only have so much time and energy. You must focus your efforts on where you will get the greatest return on your investment. Narrowing down client lists lets you focus on the people who appreciate what you do for them. This gives you more time to take care of your good clients. Understanding your clients makes this task easier. Keep your “A” list updated and work to expand the “A” list as you eliminate the less desirable customers. You are looking for the number of quality customers, not the not the number of total customers.

Smart Selling Strategies

• Figure out each client’s personality and their needs.
• Let them know that you are sincerely interested in servicing them.
• Maintain a sense of humor and don’t argue.
• Be aware of your own behavior and habits.
• Show how your products provide solutions for your customer’s needs.
• Keep each customer updated in a timely manner.
• Turn negatives into positives.
• Change your attitude if need be.
• Graciously accept complaints from clients and ask what you can do to improve.
• Focus your efforts where you get the greatest results.

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