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Guest post by: Sam Manfer Become an Author

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  Relationships are a powerful way to get business.  A relationship will be established when each party feels the benefits for him or her self.  C-Levels and senior executives are primarily interested in business benefits you can deliver that serve their careers.  Deliver the benefits and secure the professional relationships. Delivering results are thing you can control. 

 

Many get confused thinking that social relationships are the relationships that make deals happen.  It's extremely difficult to establish social relationships at the C's and high levels.  They give you little time and are basically not interested in them with most vendors.  So you have no control over these social relationships.  Professional results are what they care about which leads to professional relationships, and you have control of these.

 

Common Situation

 

People Say Relationships Close Sales.   

 

This is true, but most sales people feel a relationship is a social connection. They then strive to become chummy which is very tough to do at high levels. 

 

Resulting Problem

 

Lots of Entertainment and No Business

 

Too much time is wasted and too much money is spent trying to get friendly.  Lower level people encourage and are impressed with social encounters and gratuities and do this with all vendors.    In this case no one has a competitive advantage.  Social relationships at low level don't do much good and are next to impossible to form at high levels.  Professional relationships at both levels are easily attainable and produce more business.

 

Check Yourself

Score:   4=Always; 3=Most Times; 2=Usually; 1=Sometimes; 0=Never.

 

• 1. Do you tend to invite people to lunch, golf, or other entertainments before they buy? ____
  
  
• 2. Do you feel comfortable asking high level people for information about the benefits and results they desire personally from this purchase / project / etc?" ____
  
  

Scoring:    2   -   1    =   ?? 

            ___ - ___ = ___

 

Positive is good;

Negative means you need to change 

 

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