Thanks to technology, your customers and clients can conduct extensive research about products long before they enter your formal sales process. Savvy companies leverage automation, technology and digital content to help move prospects through this non-personal phase. However, when it comes time to purchase, people want to do business with salespeople they genuinely like and trust. This is also true for existing clients. Your products may be exceptional, but your customers can be easily wooed away if they don’t have a real relationship with your company. Therefore, relationship nurturing should be an essential component of your formal sales process.

Reach Out When There is Nothing to Sell

If the only time your reps reach out is when they want to sell something, it will be impossible to nurture a trusting relationship. Salespeople should touch base with their clients in between sales to share industry-related information the client can use, to update the client on best practices for leveraging your products and services, or just to say a friendly hello and ask if the client has any questions or concerns.

Underpromise and Overdeliver

Sales reps have a natural tendency to be people-pleasers. They want to do everything their clients need or want, but this tendency can lead to overpromising and underdelivering. Train your reps to never commit to anything they aren’t 100 percent positive they can deliver on, and to manage expectations. It’s much easier to manage expectations up front than to fail to deliver on a promise and damage the relationship. Underpromising and overdelivering ensures your reps will always be seen as people who go above and beyond.

Promote a Culture of Honesty

If your products or services can’t help a client achieve their goals, teach your reps to be honest about it. This will build instant trust. Clients are savvier than ever before, and people can spot a pushy salesperson a mile away. Teach reps that honesty is the best policy and they should never be afraid to be candid with their clients. A bit of honesty today will pay dividends down the line, as clients begin to see your reps as true consultants, rather than salespeople pushing a self-serving agenda.

Connect Through Service

For a salesperson, time is money and for that reason, some reps resist providing service that falls outside the scope of their job description. Rather than directing a client to hang up and call customer service, reps should be willing to provide service immediately, even if they won’t earn a dime for that time. The only way to build relationships is to give, rather than to take, and real connections can be made through exceptional service delivery.

Are You Looking for Top Sales Talent?

If you are looking for top sales talent for your ag business, contact the agricultural industry staffing experts at Morris Bixby Group. Our proven strategies for success can help you achieve your recruiting and retention goals quickly and efficiently.