Donuts vs. Data A Showdown Between Relationship and Technical Sales

It is a tale as old as time, and it has manifested itself throughout our lives.

Jocks vs Nerds

Blondes vs Brunettes

Relationship Sales vs Technical Sales

Which one is better? Which one is more effective? Which one delivers results?

The answer is BOTH!

Both forms of sales can be productive and deliver outstanding results. Both techniques are unique and individualistic for the person communicating with your customer.

Let’s explore these two types of sales techniques and provide some insight into their effectiveness.

Relationship Sales

We all know Joe, the Relationship Salesman. He is the guy who shows up in the morning with a box of donuts and a great story to make your day. He knows about your kids, your interests, and is genuinely interested in you. He can relate to any situation you throw at him. He is your neighbor and friend. Joe provides your sales information in a story form and can recite the company brochure perfectly, highlighting each marketing point. He always advocates for your interests within his company and is someone you can trust to pick up the phone any time of day, even in the middle of the night.

You do business with Joe because you know he has your back and you have an EMOTIONAL connection with him that you have established over lunch and golf games.

Technical Sales

We all know Clark, the Technical Salesman. He is the guy who calls a week ahead of time to schedule a meeting with you. Instead of carrying in donuts he brings in a binder and is ready to talk about the company’s latest technology. Clark knows your business in and out and has hands-on knowledge of your processes. He provides solutions through data and experience. Clark doesn’t need a brochure because he helped develop the product and will bury you with stats, charts, and data on why this product is better than the competition. He keeps a strict 8-5 work day and doesn’t communicate afterward but you know he is working. You sleep better knowing he is working proactively to make sure his product performs without issue.

You do business with Clark because you know he is taking care of his business and ensuring this product is performing as he promised. You have a LOGICAL connection with him that you have established over hours of whiteboard design sessions and detailed data mining to provide solutions to critical issues.

U-N-I-T-Y

The effectiveness and characteristics of each sales type can be successful using either form of communication to connect with a customer. Both types of sales techniques can deliver the same results, even though they may take different paths.

A successful approach when providing sales training and objectives to your sales team is to remember the end goal is the same, SALES. Provide your sales team the freedom and tools to forge their path using data, relationships, or a combination of both to achieve the metrics and goals set before them.

One of the best approaches to successfully managing or completing a sale is to pair these types of techniques together. To borrow a line from Braveheart – “You must unite the clans”!

This unity is performed in one the most significant sales movies every produced, Tommy Boy! In this film, you have a pair of aspiring salesmen, one a relationship storyteller and the other a straight-laced technician, setting out on the road in hopes of making enough sales to save the company. Though both characters have very different personalities and selling techniques, they find a way to work together and complete a deal using both relationship and technical selling techniques.

While both styles are effective individually, together they can be unstoppable and a great value to your customer!

Relationship and technical sales can exist together as both inseparable and contradictory opposites. Used together they attract and complement each other. Each technique has at its core an element of the other. Neither sales technique is superior to the other, and achieving a correct balance between the two sales techniques must be reached to achieve harmony and unity.

Pairing a different style of sales technique with your own will help you provide greater insight and purpose to your sales calls and objectives, which will allow you to a create a unique value proposition within your customer base, leading to increased sales success!

“If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” – Zig Ziglar