I surveyed sales professionals at a national sales meeting about their experience in developing and maintaining relationships with customers. Here is a compiled and edited summary of their responses.

What are the benefits of having a productive business relationship with the customer?

• They think of you right away when they need help or solutions. They more easily share long-term business issues, research and development initiatives, and access to future business plans. They will give you first shot at new business.

• You get mutual problem solving and mutual growth in profitability. You get repeat business. You gain the ability to introduce new products and increase business. You know the internal structure and practices of a company so you can better meet their current needs and anticipate future ones. You can develop new opportunities with decision makers in other divisions.

• Communication is much better. They give you a heads-up on problems and will work with you to resolve them. You are more aware of what’s happening with the customer and the customer’s organization. You get answers when you need them. You get access to people. You get the truth, including honest feedback on pricing.

• It’s more difficult to get displaced by price. The customer may offer information on competitive situations. You get a second chance. In a tie, you win. You’re able to use the customer for a testimonial and referral to similar customers.

• Time is used much more productively. Less time is involved in routine business transactions. Both organizations share the benefits of increased sales volume.

What do you do to help build strong relationships with your customers?

• Be honest about what you can and cannot do. Always keep your commitments. Look for mutually beneficial solutions and outcomes. Follow through on what you say you’ll do.

• Make their jobs easier. Make them more productive. Educate, plan, and then execute together.

• Always return calls promptly. Ask about call frequency. Always respond to their request even if the answer is negative.

• Bring them customers and help them make more money. Support them with ideas, targets, and joint calls.

• Provide the best possible support after the sale. Be accessible. Get them technical support when they need it.

• Be available, be trustworthy, and show interest and understanding.

• Understand their objectives and help them to achieve them.

• Gain understanding of their business process and their products.

• Keep up with industry trends.

• Solve their problems by thinking “out of the box.”

• Communicate with all levels in the company.

• Make their concerns your concerns. Put a high priority on addressing them.

• Know your products and their applications.

• Communicate about new products and offer assistance and training for them.

• Schedule planned visits with specific purposes and outcomes in mind. Use an agenda.

• Get to know the engineering, planning, financial, and administrative people in the account.

• Listen, listen, listen. Learn their business and treat every issue with concern.

• Convince the customer that you want to work to solve their problems.

• Do what you say and follow up until you are absolutely sure everything has been handled to their satisfaction. Ask them how satisfied they are with you, your company, and its products or services. Ask them for a forthright assessment of what you can do to improve. Let them know they can count on you to go to bat for them any time.

What have you found you need to avoid in maintaining good relationships?

• Don’t get caught up in internal politics. Don’t get involved in rumors, gossip, or complaints. Never play he said, she said. Avoid internal power plays. (You’ll end up on the wrong side at some point.) Don’t leave people out of the loop, either intentionally or unintentionally.

• Don’t knock your competition. (This includes warning the customer about a competitor’s financial problems.) Also avoid comparing or discussing the customer’s competition.

• Make sure you really can fix their needs with your product applications. Be cautious of untested solutions.

• Don’t be pushy or become complacent about the customer, the relationship, or your performance.

• Let the customers determine how personal they want the relationship to be. Never waste their time. Don’t allow a personal relationship to interfere with business decisions.

• Identify problem areas and then don’t go there: religion, politics, call waiting, answering the phone during customer meetings. Avoid giving advice on personal issues. Don’t offer an opinion if it wasn’t asked for. Avoid things that are too personal.

• Be careful of the humor and language you use.

• Avoid negativity of any kind toward anyone or anything. Avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest and avoid putting customers in such a position.

• Avoid anything illegal or illicit.

• Avoid negative comments on business surroundings.

• Avoid revisiting problems that have been solved.

• Don’t put down the people who work in your company or their company.

• Take responsibility for problems.

Building strong customer relationships helps build loyalty. Building relationships allows you to partner with and be integrated into the customer’s company. You’re not considered just another salesperson pushing product. You and your customer can have a sense of trust about your relationship. Never take the relationship for granted—as soon as you do, you’ll start to lose the trust that you worked so hard to gain.