Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1080843
26 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2019 customer. There should be no sitting behind a table, working on the computer, burying your nose in your phone, or eating in the booth space. The most important thing for those few hours is to make an introduction and lay the foundation for future conversations." Another great sales strategy. Be sure that the customer feels that they are the most impor- tant thing at that moment. Strategy #3 "Successful salespeople, at least in our in- dustry, view themselves as problem solvers. We all know that when building a complex, custom product, there will be surprises and issues that come up. When that happens, suc - cessful salespeople know how to navigate the issues internally and move things forward efficiently. They also know how to navigate the issue with their customers. What will the impact be? Is this an engineering board or a qualification lot? How can the impact of an unexpected issue be minimized? Taking the time to think through all of these things to find the best solution for everyone rather than just throwing issues over the wall is the key to suc - cessful sales." Yet again, another great piece of advice. Re- view the situation from all angles and start the conversation with the goal to find the best path forward for all parties. Strategy #4 "People like to do business with people they like. Treat customers the way you would ex- pect to be treated. If you are kind, respectful, and have a genuine interest in serving the cus- tomer, things will always work out." Once again, excellent advice. Put the cus- tomers' needs at the forefront. They are, after all, the reason we are selling. Strategy #5 "Network. Get to know the people ahead and behind you in the product chain. Refer business to them and have business referred to you. Be creative and expand your reach beyond the traditional avenues for prospect - ing." Finally, this advice is from someone excel- ling at transactional sales where the number- one goal is the highest number of new cus- tomers. Relationship-driven Sales The advice in this column leans on the side of relationship-driven sales. Be sure that your customer feels important. If there is an issue, how you deal with it differentiates you and builds a relationship. Be a problem solver and treat customers with kindness and genuine in- terest in how you can best assist them. Even the advice about networking relies on building relationships. Thinking about long-term relationship driv- en sales brings up another interesting point for us industry veterans. When I started in the industry, the primary method of communica- tion was in person or via telephone. Custom- ers often visited their fabricators to discuss de- sign issues, learn more about the fabrication process in general, and give the fabricator the opportunity to learn about their business chal- lenges. This provided a natural way to get to know each other and build a strong business relationship. In that era, if you were not out visiting customers in person, it was normal to be on the telephone most of the day talking with customers. Even though we had email, most people still liked to speak to each other. Today, it seems that most people prefer to do business via email rather than speak on the phone, and it is rare that customer goes on a field trip to visit their fabricator. How does this change how we build relationships with cus- tomers? After pondering that for quite some time, I believe that for successful salespeople, it doesn't change how relationships are built, just the way the information is exchanged. To be successful, a salesperson still needs to be sure that their customers feel their needs are important; deal with issues in a proactive, re- spectful manner; be an active problem solver; and be thoughtful and sincere. Make Connections For those of you that know me, one of the things I like to say is that I believe in mak-