Too often, we look at our business relationship with clients as a linear connection. Every business or organization is a potential client, and you want to make that connection, that line, a direct link between you and them. Yet we often make the endpoint a purchase of our products or offerings.
Do they need anti-virus? Check. Office 365? Check.
What happens many times in that type of selling is the lack of an emotional connection between you and your client. I don’t mean the kind of emotion where they call you for a shoulder to cry on – (although with IT services that is often the case). I am referring to the type of emotion that comes with trust, respect, and often admiration for the relationship.
We need to look at our clients as a sort of small universe, and within that universe is their IT microcosm. Here you will find things they WANT (hardware upgrades), things that they NEED (broken hardware or business software to complete their job) and within both groups, are the things that they do not UNDERSTAND. If you approach their inquiry with a matter-of-fact response, you are likely missing out on an opportunity to build or strengthen your emotional relationship with them.
Consider a different approach. Take time to explain why they need certain things now, and some later. This puts you on the path to have a long-term relationship with them, fulfilling some needs now, and some down the road. Down the road, you will be there to provide it for them. You’ve now outlined a long-term journey together, with you along the way to provide a hand to hold and a map guide to them through the ever-evolving world of IT. This hand-holding and map is your managed service solution.
You may offer them different options along the way, increasing coverage or features; and you may be able to remove items that are no longer needed…fax toner anyone? But this ongoing contact will be a way that you build trust between the two of you – providing that emotional connection. You are establishing yourself as a trusted member of their team, not a one-shot wonder who is looking to get them to sign off on a large PO of all new equipment.
Your value is in your offering, not any individual software or hardware solution that you sell. But that offering isn’t always defined by a product key or UPC code. That’s why we at Breach Secure Now work so hard to provide you with content you can share through any channel. With supporting content like blogs, social media ads, shareable security awareness videos, and more, you can ensure you’re providing ongoing value to those you service. Building relationships take time, and the resources that we provide our partners with through our Security Prospecting Toolkit, give them ready-made tools to identify, guide, educate, and remediate the security risks that are prevalent in today’s business environment. By including these resources in our Partner Subscription, all of our partners can minimize their on-boarding labor costs and easily nurture the relationship. Sometimes the value is in the relationship and trust that comes along with valued guidance. Take a look at our webinar showing you how easy it is to get started today.
