"relationship Selling-The Key to Getting and Keeping Customers" by Jim Cathcart

Summary

This book, written by Jim Cathcart extends in eight parts and presents basic elements of selling at its finest. The author calls this approach "relationship selling" and explores every aspect of it.

In the first part the differences between traditional selling and relationship selling are made clear. The most important one and where it all begins, is the thought that buyer and seller are on the same side, creating a relationship. Seller does not care only about making a sale, but ensuring also that the buyer makes the best choice for his/her own benefit.

In the next part is described how to read customers and adapt to the way they want to be treated without the use of any manipulation.

Part three helps the salesman achieve a flow of prospect customers using effective tools that are easy for anyone to use.

The following part analyzes how to find the buyer's needs and address them, making sure that the sale will seem truly the best option for him/her.

Part five helps the salesperson in the presentation phase of the sale, giving tips and tools to make sure that the presentation is efficient and accurate at the highest possible level.

Continuing to part six we see how to confirm a sale according to the buyer's signals and when is the best time to proceed asking for the order.

The next part focuses on caring for the buyer after the sale, ensuring his/her satisfaction and the final part explains how important it is to manage your own time effectively and your sales career as the bigger picture.

Analysis

Sales and salespeople tend to have a negative aspect attached to them in most people's perception and in mine as well. Although that is in part a result of stereotyping it is a fact that we all encounter cases as buyers when salespeople are just trying to make the sale without caring for anything else. It is widely known that in most cases they rely on their sales commission and the buyer can sense that he/she is no more than some dollars more in the salesman's account. Fast selling so that they can move to the next buyer and earn more money, without caring if what they sell addresses the customer's needs and wants and after closing the sale they're gone for good. Unfortunately that happens often enough to associate this profession with careless, pushy and greedy behavior.

This book presents a very different approach and that is clear by its title. That, made me select it from the list in the first place, to explore how selling can be a better experience than the one the majority of people have. The author introduces the meaning of a relationship between the buyer and the salesperson not only during their transaction, but also before and after.

Before, the salesperson has to prepare and deal with