Here is the third post in this series. Thanks to everyone who have posted comments on the first two posts in this series… good additions.

The Four Business Relationships

As I mentioned in a previous posts, I’m sure there may well be more than four, but these are my four…

• Transactional
• Dependable
• Consultative
• Partnership

Have a look at the Transactional and Dependable Business Relationship to compare and contrast.

Consultative Business Relationship

Relationship with Customer: Relationships developed with middle management. Poor to good at best. Relationships developed further while pursuing individual opportunities.

Relationship Status: Solution Architect.

Customer’s Knowledge of their situation and how Vendor can help: Understand that they have a problem. They will be looking to address it or they are unsure how to address it. The problem may not have high enough priority.

Customer’s Risk: Will depend on the project being undertaken. Customer often has trouble accessing it. On strategic projects will often defer to partnership supplier.

Customer’s Expectations of Vendor: To have professionals qualified to give advice in order to solve identified problems. Receive information in terms of benchmarks and previous experiences. To respond to request for proposal.

How the Customer Buys: Customer identifies problem and sends out a Request For a Proposal (RFP) document.

Vendor’s Value to Customer: Help the customer to identify and analyse his problem. Propose specific solutions that are suitable. Provide technical pre-sales consulting.

Customer’s Value to Vendor: High value project based opportunities. Potential to develop relationship to Partnership status.

Salesperson’s Value to Customer: Skilled in analysing and giving technical advice and facilitating others from vendor team to do this. Facilitates customer towards the most suitable solution. Manages sales process and responsiveness of Vendor.

Competitive Advantage: Compete on benefits delivered as part of solution. Fit of solution to requirements. Price of solution versus benefit.

Salesperson’s Value to Own Business: Identification and winning new markets / new customers.

Role in Customer Process: Problem identification and solution provider.

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