I always disliked being called a “vendor” by my customers. Let’s be honest - we know why it exists and there are reps that give sales a bad name. But there are also amazing sales professionals who really take the time to build relationships with their customers and build trust.
Who do you think is crushing their quota at the end of every month, quarter, and year?
My bet is on the partner. The rep that their customer enjoys working with, that takes the time to understand customer challenges, that checks-in after a solution is deployed - those relationships pay dividends.
I always knew I had successfully crossed into “partner” territory when my clients asked me other questions about their environment that they knew weren’t necessarily in our tech stack, but they thought my network and connections might be able to support. When you’re able to think holistically, you can also bring others business and build your network with referrals. And we know what goes around, comes around 🙂.
Not sure where you stand? Think there might be some vendor behaviors you’d like to improve?
I’ve built a vendor → partner matrix to help you gut check your current sales relationships.
So… where do you stand? Are you cutting corners and exhibiting “vendor-like” behavior, are you a rockstar partner to your customers, or somewhere in the middle?
Relationship selling is a winning tactic and people buy from people they like, so the more you can become a partner to your customers, the more likely you are to build a lasting and fruitful sales relationship - and you may even make a few friends along the way!
Any other vendor-partner behaviors that you’ve seen? Share your thoughts with us!
Happy selling!
TIP: Take a look at part one of our series to get insight on The Power of Nurturing Your Clients.
