Why Building Strong Customer Relationships Is No Longer Enough: 4 Key Lessons for Building Material Sales Reps

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I once knew a sales rep who sold peak body memberships to the automotive industry. He spent hours sitting with owners of mechanic shops and panel beaters sipping coffee and chatting the day away. You could say he had many great relationships with existing customers, as well as potential ones. But when it came to his numbers, he was not performing. While he had no issues building rapport and trust, he didn’t know how to drive renewals and grow his customer base.

In the evolving landscape of building material and construction sales, relationship-building continues to be important, but it’s no longer enough to drive success.

So where did this sales rep go wrong?

Let’s examine and explore the critical areas where he messed up and what he could have done better:

The Trap: The sales rep spent hours sipping coffee and chatting with existing clients. Now although rapport is important, too much chit chat affects productivity, and distracts from helping the customers, as well as from achieving our sales goals.

The Solution: Balance relationship-building with focused discussions. Continue to investigate the current needs and pain points of your customers so you can personalise solutions. Educate your customers and add value to discussions. It’s critical to manage your time effectively and stay focused on your customer’s needs.

The Trap: The sales rep got complacent. He relied too heavily on existing relationships without actively seeking new business. However, this did backfire when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Many of his customers were forced to shut down their businesses. The lesson learned was it’s important to constantly seek out new opportunities and not get comfortable.

The Solution: Be proactive and consistent in prospecting for new leads. Attend industry events, leverage social media, pick up the phone, knock on doors, and explore untapped markets. As the saying goes, complacency limits growth.

The Trap: The sales rep avoided closing deals. From having coached him, it seemed that deep down he feared rejection or lacked confidence. He also internalised the customer’s objections. So much so, that he stopped believing in what he was selling.

The Solution: To be a good closer, you need to be fearless. You cannot be afraid of hundreds of nos. They are normal and part of the process. It’s also crucial to do the work on your self-confidence. One of my mentors and sales experts Tony Hughes has this great quote, ‘’Ask yourself this question, what do you care more about? Being rejected, or being successful?’’ One simple action you can take today is to be aware of the limiting stories you continuously tell yourself about why you can’t close, why your products suck and why you’re not good at selling. Now write down a counter argument next to each story that hinders your success and fifty compelling reasons why it’s a must to succeed.

The Trap: The sales rep missed the mark on renewals and upselling. As previously mentioned he enjoyed long conversations about everything, but business. Existing customers are valuable; neglecting this area is a missed opportunity. It’s also common knowledge that retaining existing customers costs much less than acquiring new ones.

The Solution: Firstly, it’s vital to be 5 steps ahead. Anticipate your customer’s evolving needs before they even come up. Be sure to remind customers of upcoming contract renewals. Showcase value, and personalise recommendations. Create upselling opportunities by recognising additional needs. For example, if a customer previously used standard plywood, introduce them to high-quality marine-grade plywood.

While yes it’s true, people do buy from people they like, trust and have solid relationships with, they are not looking for a new best friend. I’m sure they already have one or more. They are looking for someone who can help them find solutions to complex construction needs and problems. They want someone who will say what they are going to do and follow through. They also want someone who is a trusted advisor and can give them expertise recommendations.