The transition from making the sale to delivering the service is a major opportunity for things to go wrong. On the whale’s side, there is a big handoff from the buyers to the end users. Likewise, on your side, there is a big handoff from the sales team to the delivery team. If you’ve had your key players involved with their whale-company counterparts along the way, things will be easier. But inevitably, there are new players with minimal knowledge of your company, your people, or your background.
To ensure a long-term good relationship, it’s important to establish a strong trust relationship from the outset. We talk about the six “abilities” of a trust cycle:
- credible–demonstrate efficiency, expertise, and experience
- connectible–communicate impeccably
- reliable–make and keep commitments
- capable–deliver to the client’s specifications
- adaptable–practice flexibility from a long-term perspective
- likeable–like them first and invite a long-standing relationship
We’ve always said that whale hunting doesn’t work if you can’t harvest the whale successfully! It’s not about the sale; it’s about the service. Your processes create many touchpoints between your people and the whale’s people. The trust abilities add value to each touchpoint. When everyone on your team practices the trust abilities at each content, you are setting the expectation for a positive, long-term business relationship.
