Client Relations: Drawing The Line Between Friendship And Professionalism

Post date: Mar 28, 2017 4:43:55 AM

It’s quite a common occurrence in sales for salespeople to befriend their clients to nurture relationships. However, it is a very human condition to naturally fall into the trap of forging friendships with a client to a fault. Here is some advice to find the best compromise that works.

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Aim to spend leisure time after work or on weekends. This kind of set-up is both good for client and sales person because the peak of work really happens during the day. Constraining leisure outside of work hours is beneficial, because whether on the client side or the sales person side, productivity in the day needs focus.

A big meeting, a product demonstration, or product sampling are examples of concrete activities that are required for a sale to happen. A good option to take is to schedule leisure time right after such an activity. Work and play can be done on the same day, but ensure that the two agenda do not interfere with each other. There’s no problem having dinner with your client right after an event.

Learn to say “no” to your client’s invitation for another round of drinks or coffee. Be comfortable with asking for a rain check, or suggesting a different schedule. Learn to put your foot down, most of all, when it comes to pricing concerns that your client lobbies to you during your leisure time.

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There is always a danger in anything that proves to be too much. This is the same in maintaining friendships with clients. If your friendship with a client gets in the way of work and selling, this has to be improved. Certainly, you can be honest with your client, if indeed he is your friend too.

After many years of experience in sales, Jeff Lupient is now the president and CEO of Lupient Automotive Group. Find out more about this industry by visiting this blog.