Reimagining Relationships

These days sales teams are faced with an enormous challenge: how to build and nurture customer relationships remotely.

Like online dating, virtual selling is not the same as meeting face-to-face. While many people doubted it, today, couples all over the world are building meaningful relationships online before meeting face to face, resulting in 3 out of 5 marriages.

Indeed, remote relationships are more difficult to start and sustain because it is harder to authentically connect and build trust.

So we asked ourselves, what can sales professionals learn from online dating? What do people typically do wrong? And which skills, tools, and mindsets apply to remote selling?

There are many pitfalls to learn from (see graphic below). A common theme is not taking the time to understand the other person and ultimately, not taking their needs and desires as seriously as your own.

For example, Luminous’ recent survey with sales professionals in pharma and med-tech revealed that although reps believe disease state understanding is of higher importance to HCPs treating rare diseases, they prioritize product/brand information and reimbursement to drive prescriptions targets.

Whether virtual/remote or in-person, good relationships are based on the same, key fundamentals. These translate into several key sales capabilities and activities:

·       Pro-actively generating insights on how customer needs and journeys are evolving (now, more than ever, sales reps need to do their own research, planning, and groundwork)

·       Providing solutions that address customer problems and priorities (there is even less tolerance for inefficiency and ‘fluff’)

·       Delivering tailored, personal, and creatively impactful materials that make it easy and enjoyable for customers to engage (there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all pick-up line!)

·       Addressing business uncertainties and partnering with customers on the way forward (relationships in which you win and lose together)

The basics of relationship-building have not changed. The job of today’s sales professionals is to deliver on them in this new, more virtual world.

By putting the Spotlight on patients, Luminous can help your sales organization hone the skills and capabilities to sell remotely.