Diagrams neatly placed in books and on flip charts are, by their very nature, static and though they easily lend themselves to the eager eyes of participants, they naturally fail to meet the tests of the dynamic world of selling which changes with each customer. The communication cycle within which each salesperson must function is not static at all, instead it is dynamically challenging enough to leave even those who have spent years both studying and practicing the art of selling feeling ever so humble. Having said that, let us move on to discuss what true relationship selling is, the kind that focuses on form first and function second, the kind that looks upon the relationship as one continual process from beginning to never-ending end. It is the paradox of the never-ending end that is especially fascinating. While I share the conviction that too many customers leave without buying because of poorly trained salespeople, I remain steadfastly opposed to anyone who does not admit, at times, the best approach to selling is to honor the customer's decision to continue shopping.
Honor is a word pregnant with quality.
Earlier we mentioned that true relationship selling is never a number's game, that it focuses on form first, on function second. The form it focuses on takes its entire meaning from the customer's needs. The form selling takes must therefore grow out of the customer's needs. That is the secondary aim. The primary aim of relationship selling must be that of winning the customer's trust.