By Keith Rosen, MCC
The Executive Sales Coach TM 

We've all heard this nugget of wisdom a thousand times: "Now remember, what's most important is to develop a strong relationship with your prospects and customers." What does this really mean? What's the how in that statement, the tactical approach?

To become a great salesperson you need to foster and build strong relationships with your prospects and clients. The stronger your relationships with your customers, the easier it will be to sell them, serve them, and support them. While this is certainly true, essential, and indisputable in some cases and in some professions -- doctors, coaches, therapists, certain transactions with long selling cycles, to name a few -- it is not an absolute principle that I would endorse in every situation, and it can actually hurt your selling efforts.

Here's why: Some people are just not interested in a relationship. Some people want to get in, make a purchase, and get out; to keep it purely transactional. After all, when was the last time you went out to lunch with your pharmacist, your local cable provider, or the rep you speak with when calling your phone company?