We have all experienced it at one time or another. You are looking for more out of a relationship than the other party has in their mind. The dreaded friend zone.
Sales is a skill/capability that requires the ability to build relationships over time. Relationships can evolve, they can also get stuck. As a sales professional you try to avoid being caught in an order-taking role, but sometimes you are unable to break through the type-cast.
Sales training events or seminars discuss taking a consultative approach to working with your customer. They discuss how to avoid an order-taking and being pulled into a transactional role. Sometimes this is truly a function of the product, the relationship, or the need of the customer. We discuss how to identify when this is the case.
Mike & Mike also share their experience getting stuck in the "Vend Zone", how you can avoid this trap, and prevent the relationships with your customers from devolving into this category.
Catalyst SaleSales is a Thinking Process. Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning.
You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below;