The Shift to Messaging for Sales

Relationship building is at the core of salesmanship.

Working in sales is challenging, no doubt. But it's also very rewarding. Excelling in sales requires relationship building — a fundamental human skill. In business, of course, the decision-makers we encounter are human, so trust matters when someone is deciding whether or not to buy your product.

Relationship building is an overused term, but it’s at the core of salesmanship. Think about it — people can do research online today on their own, but they don’t know if they can trust that information. So, consider the alternative. A sales process focused on interaction and connection lets a good salesperson step in, ask the right questions to understand what customers are thinking, and can provide the trust and human touch needed in making the deal.

The traditional business culture is more transactional and aggressive.

That said, the traditional business culture within sales makes relationship-building much harder. The culture is more transactional and inclined towards an “aggressive” type of sales (which isn’t necessarily even effective). This approach suggests that delivering a single “strong and compelling” pitch will shove any resistance out of the way and make customers buy “immediately.” Yet, overpowering words show no sign of relationship building at all.

This company started 6 months ago, and I’ve personally been getting tons of spam from a variety of companies, all with generic (and automated) “personalized” messages. I toss them into the trash within seconds.

Salespeople use WhatsApp to build stronger relationships now.

Thankfully, these tactics are slowly starting to change. One notable trend is that salespeople around the globe are ditching emails and turning to messaging to build stronger sales relationships.

As one example, the messages on WhatsApp are sent by a human. Second, people read WhatsApp messages within an hour 95% of the time. Better responses mean that salespeople put more thought and effort into crafting messages. That’s a positive feedback loop.

You can use WhatsApp (or the most popular messaging app in your local area) to connect and engage with your customers. You’ll see different engagement levels, and your hard work will pay off faster.