Transactional verses Relational Selling

I was having lunch with a client I had completed a project for and he told me of a company that had come to discuss their services with him. The word 'bludgeon' came to mind. The sales person was all about getting the sale NOW. Wasn't interested in establishing a relationship with my client but was all about the transaction. This form of selling while it still works (people buying out of fear and pressure) is the least effective sales approach. The strategy has been around for decades and those in sales should recognise it should be buried in decades past. Here is the best approach by far for selling in the current times: 1. Establish a relationship with the person. Build rapport and gain trust 2. Gain mutual consensus on moving forward together providing options so THEY can choose 3. Ensure your product or service is right for THEM, not just of benefit to you 4. Walk away if point 3 isn't met and refer them to someone or another product that is better suited 5. Stay in touch. This is called relationship. They might not be ready now but they might be in 12 months time. Transactional selling is about now. Relational selling is about now and the future. A sales pipeline reflects people at different stages in their buying process and timing. If you are all about today then there is effectively no pipeline. High pressure, bludgeoning, transactional selling is all about the seller not the buyer. There is no care, no concern, no recognition that people matter. Establish a relationship and you'll establish a successful future with the added bonus that people will be calling YOU because they've heard that you are the best.