When it comes to customer maintenance, building good customer relationships is a must. So, what kind of customer relationship can be considered 'good'? Is it when customers greet salespeople with smiles and treat them to meals? When I discussed this topic with several salespeople, a junior salesperson said it's definitely better than when shop owners ignore them. But a veteran salesperson disagreed, citing an example: one of his clients now has a relationship with him better than brothers—every time they meet, they have tea or meals, and sometimes even go to KTV together. Yet, when he tries to discuss stocking up, the client says, 'Just tell me where the good food and drinks are, I'll take you there, but don't talk about stocking up.' So, can a client who doesn't place orders be considered having a good relationship? Indeed, a client who doesn't order can't be considered a good relationship. If even veteran salespeople handle relationships this way, how should junior salespeople build good relationships with clients? Through conversations with clients and summaries from several veteran salespeople, we found that making clients 'like' you is relatively simple for junior salespeople.
Let's talk about township clients first. Township clients are mostly mom-and-pop stores. As long as salespeople visit frequently, handle after-sales quickly, deliver goods promptly, and sometimes help plan a promotional event—whether successful or not—the shop owners will notice the effort. Sometimes, a salesperson with good selling skills can even help the owner sell a phone, making the owner feel that such a salesperson is much better than those who come, brag, chat, and leave without taking orders. We had a township client for whom we planned a promotional event. Because it rained on the event day, sales were not great, but the owner felt the salesperson worked diligently and sincerely to help sell and promote. Later, the relationship remained good because the town was far away; for minor matters, the salesperson could just call and handle them, making communication easy.
For clients in county towns and urban areas, handling customer relationships is more complex because you need to get along not only with the boss but also with the store manager and staff to say the relationship is good. For county and urban clients, junior salespeople can start by focusing on the following aspects during the initial phase of customer maintenance:
First, integrate into the staff and store manager group. Actually, integrating is simple: just stand at the counter for a few days. Of course, I've encountered salespeople or promoters who couldn't get along with staff and managers because they only handled their own brand's affairs, ignored everything else, and even spoke little to staff and managers. That definitely won't help them integrate. So, for junior salespeople we train, we tell them that during their counter time, they should do whatever they can when not busy, starting with the simplest tasks. For example, when staff are selling, help bring a stool for customers; at noon, buy lunch for busy staff (of course, staff pay for it); clean up after meals. Doing such small things for a few days will improve staff impressions and naturally help them integrate. For junior salespeople, it's best not to bribe staff with small gifts at the beginning. First, many store managers or bosses dislike it; second, junior salespeople don't earn much, and if you don't buy for one, it's not fair, and sometimes spending money doesn't guarantee good relationships. If you get along well with staff and managers, they will not only report your performance to the boss but also make future maintenance easier. I know a salesperson nicknamed 'Store Manager Killer.' The bosses of the urban stores he handled didn't think highly of him, but because he had good relationships with store managers and staff, his sales were decent in every store. As he put it, 'Bosses may dislike me and ignore me, but my products sell well in their stores and bring them profit, so that's enough.'
Never disparage your own company or products. This is a common mistake junior salespeople make when chatting with staff, managers, or bosses. Clients are never fully satisfied with a company or its products; they always have some complaints. Some junior salespeople, when chatting with bosses and hearing complaints, might echo them with their own dissatisfaction. Their intention might be to get along better, but contrary to their expectations, such echoing only makes clients look down on them. Once, while chatting with a boss, he told me, 'When the salesperson from brand ** came, I complained about their products, and he joined in. I told him, "You know your products are bad, yet you still come to my store to sell them. I really look down on salespeople like that—they take the company's money but don't speak well of it and don't do practical things."' We often say 'No one is perfect,' and the same applies to companies and products; they can't be flawless. When clients complain, veteran salespeople know more and can find counterarguments. If junior salespeople don't know how to refute, they should just listen. A monologue won't last long; if the salesperson stays silent, the client will soon lose interest in complaining. Finally, the salesperson can say, 'Although our products aren't perfect, at least they're making money for you now,' and then change the subject.
Pay attention to your terminal image and establish a professional image. Once, I visited a client who kept praising a certain brand's salesperson. I asked what that salesperson did to earn such admiration. The client said that some brand salespeople come and go straight to the boss to discuss orders, as if it's a wasted trip if they don't see the boss. But that salesperson, every time, would first go to their counter, check if the phone placements followed company regulations, and immediately adjust any misplaced models. By doing this, he could tell which models sold well and which were out of stock. So, when he came to discuss orders, he was confident, and now I'm forced to pull up their data every time he comes. I can tell you, among all the brands in my store, I only pay attention to their data. Another time, when I wasn't in the store, he called me, saying their new counter had a design flaw and that installing a latch would cost only 1-2 yuan. I said I'd find someone to install it when I had time. Guess what he said? He told me he had already brought professional installers and the necessary tools and latch, and they could install it right away if I agreed. How many salespeople do you know would do that? If I had to wait for me to install that latch, who knows when it would happen. Clients have no reason not to 'like' such a responsible salesperson.
Don't sell company information to win client favor. No matter what your company is like or how it treats you, never sell company information to gain client favor. This is another common mistake junior salespeople make. Junior salespeople are often young, some fresh out of school, and may not know how to maintain boundaries when chatting with clients. Some clients, staff, or managers are overly curious and like to pry into company information. For example, staff might ask about the supply price of a certain phone, or bosses might ask about policies for other clients. Salespeople must not casually disclose such information, as it's internal. Even if they promise not to tell others, they often spread it immediately, even to your superiors, leaving you in a difficult position even if you're right.
In fact, for junior salespeople, handling customer relationships—whether in townships, counties, or urban areas—boils down to being diligent: visit more often; when in the store, listen more and talk less; do more and talk less; help with sales when busy; when not busy, explain products to staff. Any client likes salespeople who are dedicated, hardworking, and down-to-earth.
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