Defining Relationships

As you've probably experienced, personal relationships can be, well - complicated. Early on, you question every little thing: What is she thinking? Do they like me? Does he mean what he says?

Business relationships generate similar questions, like, how do you know if your relationship with your client is really strong? Sales trainer Dan Adams has some ideas to help you develop an appropriate and professionally trusting connection.

"Gain the customer's trust by showing the three Cs: Credibility, Concern, and just a bit of Competence," says Adams. "The consequence of demonstrating these three traits with your customer will be trust - confidence on the part of your customer that you have her best interests in mind." Then use these ten questions to determine the strength of the relationship:

1. Do your customers routinely take your call or return your calls promptly?

2. Do you enjoy a friendly and cooperative relationship with the customers' administrators?

3. Do you know your customers' biggest challenges, personally and professionally?

4. Do you know your customers' top three business priorities this fiscal year?

5. Are you aware of the difficult circumstances and trends facing your customers'
industry?

6. Do you know who their top five clients are?

7. Do you understand the needs of those top five clients?

8. Do your customers consider you a true problem solver or a problem avoider?

9. Do you frequently bring helpful best practices to the attention of your customers?

10. Do you exchange new business with one another?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, it's likely you've got a very strong relationship with your client. If not, continue to build that trusting relationship. To do this, Adams suggests you follow the Modified Golden Rule: "Treat customers the way they would like to be treated."

Dan Adams is an award-winning professional speaker, author, and consultant. Having honed his sales skills selling multimillion dollar solutions for Fortune 500 and high technology companies, Dan founded a sales consulting company, Adams & Associates, utilizing his own strategic selling principles embodied in his program Trust Triangle Selling. Learn more at www.trusttriangleselling.com