¿Cómo puede mantener los límites profesionales con los clientes?

Instead of viewing yourself solely as a consultant, think of yourself as a trusted ally embarking on a journey with your customers. Embrace the idea of building genuine connections beyond the sales transaction. By understanding their personal aspirations and challenges, you can tailor your approach to meet their needs more effectively. While it's important to set boundaries, don't shy away from occasional personal conversations that deepen the bond. Remember, true loyalty stems from a holistic understanding of your customers as individuals, not just as sales prospects.

100% disagree. People buy from people. Be yourself, talk about your kids and get personal. Gaining a friendship is one of the best outcomes from a sales process

Excellent points, remembering the goal is to assist your clients or customers to find answers to their questions. I look at ancillary conversation as a way to get to what it is the client really needs. Then, and only then, can you direct them to the solutions, or re-direct them if they are off course. Re-directs are an excellent tool to help clients avoid thought patterns that do not serve their wellness objectives.

Depends on how you met the customer. If you've been introduced through a current customer, the new prospect should already know a little about you. You can ask open ended questions to learn more about them and their needs for possible future business. If it's a straight up cold call, keep it simple and get to the person in charge for an introduction. Once you're having a conversation, then convey your role as a consultant and definitely name current clients nearby in their same profession. Establish credibility and set up an another time to discuss future development.

It's helpful to remember we should start out the way we can hold out. You don't want everyone and just anyone as a client. Here's the value of being able to identify your ideal client. When you know your product and services you can set a goal, analyze your prospects, and build an ideal client profile. From this you'll be able to discern if they're someone who will respect you as a person, your expertise, and boundaries which includes your time. If they're not, you're not a good fit for each other. Be a resource and kindly refer them to your competitors.

I have found being as available as possible is the best way to operate. You will find that your clients are respectful of your time when they see how quickly to respond to their requests. I once had a client who forgot I was on vacation. I called him back from Disney Land to respond to his request. Once he realized I was on holiday, he said, "I'll talk to next week" and then hung up the phone. I think that little interaction actually strengthened our relationship.

Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions! Too many sales/marketers go on & on about themselves and their newest and greatest blah,blah, blah! Don't be afraid to ask a question and truly listen to their answers. You will find out a lot of important information very quickly about any concerns or boundaries they may have.

Life's too short to deal with bad customers. I always tell sales reps to cut off relationships with customers who are continually disrespectful or have low integrity. These clients are not only difficult to work with, but are often not very profitable to service.

It can feel difficult to say 'no' in a sales role, but it is important to remember that you are the representative for what is best for your company. Often that means being accommodating to needs of your prospects and customers to ensure that you are bringing in revenue, but when a customer asks for too much it is your job to drive a line. It is okay to be honest with your customers and let them know where and when you cannot accommodate their requests, and include a strong "why" behind denying the request.

This is an explosive area and totally depends on if you are dealing with a man or a woman. Men want to prove they are the alpha dog in the pack, so you have to stand your ground and politely let them know you respect their views, but they must respect yours as well. Women think logically and understand business a lot better than most men due to their ability to remain calm and see the bigger picture in the outcome of doing legitimate business without any gray areas involved. There are exceptions, but are rare to find. Tread lightly to get the feel of how the person in charge is leaning toward. Be firm that you are a valuable asset that is willing to help them and create a partnership between you both that will be rewarding.

You can never make a first impression on a second visit! On your first meet and greet, be absolute as a representative for an organization, and be polite, courteous and totally confident when asking or answering questions. Your initial goal is to find out who's the decision maker and get to them as quickly as possible. Once you get to meet them and introduce yourself and they open up the lines of communication, you can relax a little and ask them questions about themselves. If they are comfortable, they'll also want to know more about you and begin a true conversation. This is when you begin building the foundation for future business. Let them introduce you to the employees later, they'll accept your presence better.

Practice makes perfect! Always be teachable and willing to share your experiences with younger/less traveled sales people. Experience is by far the great teacher and learning from mistakes is a huge benefit. Humility is a hard pill to swallow, but believe it or not, you're not always right! There is usually more than one road to a destination and you have to understand that before you start down your path.

Depending on what you are selling and the sales cycle involved, you might engage in dozens of contacts before/during closing your deal. There are certainly some things you want to avoid (religion, politics, flirting, etc) and there is a level of professionalism you should maintain, but asking about someone’s family, seeing that the other person is having a rough day and asking how they are doing (while sharing if you are also struggling) can show empathy and build a connection.

Maintaining professional boundaries with customers is indeed important, but it doesn't mean you have to be a robotic sales machine. Building trust and loyalty can also come from genuine human connections. Instead of strictly defining your role as just a consultant or problem-solver, allow yourself to be an empathetic listener and build rapport with your customers. Sometimes, delving into personal or irrelevant topics can actually help you understand their needs better and provide tailored solutions. By embracing a more holistic approach, you can create a memorable customer experience that goes beyond the transactional nature of sales.

There is a balance that can be maintained. Part of my sales success has come in realizing that those I sell to are people who are just trying to get through their days. Depending on what you are selling and the sales cycle involved, you might engage in dozens of contacts before/during closing your deal. There are certainly some things you want to avoid (religion, politics, flirting, etc) and there is a level of professionalism you should maintain, but asking about someone’s family, seeing that the other person is having a rough day and asking how they are doing (while sharing if you are also struggling) can show empathy and build a connection. I strive to be warm & caring, but finding your line & sticking with it can be beneficial.

Every individual is unique (ie every customer). Therefore you may not be able to set a defined format, however, I have found that building yourself a framework to operate is the best way forward. If we can define our ideal interaction and what compromises we are ready to make here, it sets our internal expectations straight. Ex. For some customers just a text response that “it will be done” is more than enough even if it’s a weekend, for some, proactive updates help define the boundaries Ex. Sharing a status on a Friday evening and defining the next steps for the coming week. However, you need to understand. At the start of a relationship as to what works for whom. Once you build your equation at the beginning, stick to it!

The key here is to set expectations and boundaries upfront clearly and effectively. Make sure you understand the what and why. It's about the client always