A current trend in the sales and marketing world involves taking a deep dive into data of markets, risk analyses, and prospective clients to determine where the sales team should spend their time. I’m a data geek so this is an approach that appeals to me.
It is a great idea in theory because so many salespeople end up spending a significant amount of time in the wrong groups or just investigating the market. Unfortunately, it often results in removing the human element from the equation altogether.
The time spent with prospects is a time used for building relationships. Adding data analysis to the equation is an important step but it does not replace the relationship that needs to be built with prospective clients and customers. Restoration specifically is a relationship based industry and prospects will mainly choose to do business with those they know, like, and trust.
As new generations move into decision making roles, these relationships are becoming more important. Buyer motives of the largest buying groups are essentially allergic to being sold to and run from anything that gives them a whiff of sales. They will not be guided with a process, manufactured language, and are mainly distrustful of any literature coming from the company doing the selling. They are well-researched and know more about the hiccups of your company than most of the sales team. They also have a high expectation when it comes to customer service and transparency.
If you want to stay relevant to decision makers, it is mandatory to prioritize your account management through relationships. Sales leaders should add to their meetings not only going over prospective or new accounts but encouraging their team to nurture these existing clients. Remember, 80% of most revenue comes from an existing customer base. It is a mistake to forget about clients. Allow your team to be human, build relationships, and approach their clients as human beings rather than a piece of a data set.