Is Customer Relationship important in Business to Business Selling

The answer is a BIG YES.

But there are many others questions which are significant - Why Relationship is critical? What kind of relationship we need to develop with Customers? Is it one-to-one relationship or company-to-company relationship?

Why Relationship is Critical?

To create product differentiation or technology differentiation is becoming difficult. Many organizations must have witnessed that by the time a new product hits the market, many features are either already existing in the newly launched competitor product or the features have become obsolete. This has resulted in a challenge to differentiate especially while communicating to the customer. Unable to differentiate, many organizations go to another extreme and de-differentiate by lowering the price thinking that the only reason a customer buys is low price. This de-differentiation is not allowing customers to let a unique space in their minds. As per Shapiro et al., the need for a high quality salesperson is increasing as they have the capability to attract the right customers and enhance long term satisfaction by consistently interacting with them. Building relationship can be a differentiating factor, as it is less copyable; atleast not in the short time period. Philip Kotler pointed out that the salesperson who knows how to build and maintain relationship with the customer will have plenty of future orders from the customer. As Kerndt puts it, “More business is lost every year through neglect than through other cause”

 What kind of relationship we need to develop with customers?

To attract new customers, analysis of prospects is critical, quality service and trust is important to build relationship, personalized service would help in maintaining and value added services would enhance the relationship.

There are different levels of relationships as described by Philip Kotler:

Non-Existent Relationship –Salesperson simply say thanks to the customer for having given the order and moves on to the next customer. The relationship is literally non-existent as there are no efforts or activities undertaken by the salesperson during and after the sales process. This relationship would gradually decay over a period of time. 

Reactive Relationship – In this type, salesperson shares his or her contact details with the customer for any support customer need. Hence attends to the call of the customer in a reactive way.

Accountability Relationship – In this type, salesperson calls the customer a week or fortnight after the sales is made. Through this salesperson seeks feedback from the customer

Keep-in-touch Relationship – Salesperson constantly keep in touch with the customer and informs about the new development, new product and involves in two way communication

Partnership Relationship – In this approach, salesperson understands the real needs and requirements of a customer first before presenting the solution. At times, salesperson also shapes the needs of the customer, whenever the customer is not sure about what was needed. In this way, the solution is most suitable to the customer and will continue to meet the needs over a period of time. Salesperson shows very high level of involvement with the customer to establish mutually beneficial relationship with a win-win orientation.

In addition to what philip kotler said, one more can be added

Value-add Relationship –Customers always get their value, high quality service from the salesperson with high level of respect and trust.

WHICH LEVEL DO YOU SATISFY?

Is it one-to-one relationship or company-to-company relationship?

Though relationship is between human beings, the partnership and value-add relationship goes beyond salespeople. The positive side of having company-to-company relationship is the organization stand to gain even when the salesperson moves on to another organization.