The new rules for succeeding in a sales job

Closing the deal now happens more often over Zoom and email than over beers. Here’s how to win when you can’t wine and dine.

Back when I entered the world of sales over twenty years ago, client meetings often involved taking the entire media team of a major advertising agency out to a particularly swanky steak restaurant for a boozy lunch, and the conclusion of promotion might involve bringing the whole gang to an open-bar skybox for a sporting event.

I’m not going to lie; those were good times.

You got to know your clients, and they had some extra incentive to do business with you — you, the person with the Red Sox tickets.

Over the past 20 years, things have changed. Budgets have tightened, clients have less free time to go out, and corporate gift policies can prevent either the salesperson from giving away a pair of $300 tickets or the client from receiving them (or both). And then there’s the fact that so much business is done digitally these days, as?a recent Businessweek article on software sales noted. And then there’s a pandemic.

So what’s a salesperson to do?

These days, I do all of my sales by phone or Zoom and can attest that you can bring in significant revenue for your company without any alcohol or game tickets exchanging hands. These are the five things I’ve learned about developing real relationships with clients without ever even meeting them in person:

1. Get personal

Start every business conversation by getting to know each other. Ask your clients about their backgrounds. Ask where they worked previously to see if they have familiarity with your product. Find out how long they’ve been in their roles. Learning about their department structure will tell you a lot about which products will work best for them. For instance, if they have a lot of assistance, they can handle more complex, time-consuming tools. Ask them why they decided to meet with you today and what they hope to gain.

Once you understand some of their personal challenges in how they do business, you are much more prepared to make good recommendations and be a trusted partner in helping them select the right tools for their needs.

2. Be responsive

Return phone calls and emails as quickly as possible and reassure the client that you will take care of whatever they need. Then do it.

Even if you can’t solve the problem, showing that you have empathy and are trying to do so goes a long way toward building long-term relationships.

3. Get connected

Have business social media accounts that you use to follow clients on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever they have a digital presence — and share, share, share their material. Make it clear that you are sharing it as a representative of your company. Be funny, be classy, be an evangelist for them.

Many of them will notice and will appreciate it. If they don’t notice, it may be appropriate to talk to them about their use of social media and the importance of interacting with and communicating with their own clients.

4. Add value

Don’t call to suggest the latest, greatest thing your company is offering. Study the client's business needs and make appropriate suggestions to solve real problems.

For instance, if you read that their company has recently acquired another one, see how you can integrate the needs of both companies in one streamlined solution.

5. Be gracious

While I may not have the budget (and may question the appropriateness) to send an expensive bottle of wine, I make time to write handwritten thank-you notes at the close of most sales. I tell people that they are fun to work with — and they become more fun.

But most of all, I want them to know that I sincerely appreciate their business.

People like to be thanked. Plus, real letters stand out in the sea of junk mail and separate you from the other disembodied salespeople your client encounters on the phone. Good salespeople recognize that customers generally have multiple options when making a purchase. And they’re going to remember the person who helped them, cared about their results, and exchanged puppy pictures with them first.

At the time of publication, Jessica L. Benjamin was a senior account manager for Monster Worldwide, where she worked with Monster’s customers to increase their success in hiring top talent.

This post originally appeared on?Monster.com.