In this show, I explain why being able to forge relationships with clients is an essential skill in the B2B selling process. Think you can’t do it? Well, it’s possible IF you build great relationships.

To show how this can be achieved, I describe a moment in my own career when I was expected to shorten the sales cycle to just 60 days. I had just started working for a company that developed selection tools for high-ticket clients. My boss was in a bind because his brother-in-law had just left the company and had taken one of their biggest accounts with him. My boss came to me because he wanted his client back.

I was new to the B2B selling process, but I knew that if I wanted a chance at getting the client back, I would have to talk to the right people. I compiled a list of possible decision-makers within the target business and I contacted them one by one. Then I set up a training seminar and invited several of them to attend. Eventually, I was able to develop a rapport with one of those people, who, with my help, was put in a position where she could hire our company.

Now, this process was not easy. It takes a LOT of time and energy to forge relationships with prospective clients. In my case, I talked to numerous people within the target company and I even helped develop presentations for the woman who eventually hired us.

However, the extra mile that I went paid off. By shortening a normally months-long B2B selling process to only 60 days, I was able to save my company a lot of money. If you can forge relationships based on trust and mutual understanding, you too can quickly close a high-ticket sale.