Recently, I got a reminder of something very important: long-term retention and success with your clients is about perception. How they view you and your intentions is key.

What do they think you want when you reach out to them, when they see an email from you, when they jump on a call with you? Are you coming to them as a vendor?

Vendor Relationship

When I think of a vendor-type relationship, to me it's someone who has something to sell, they are hoping I will buy, it's potentially a commodity (meaning: I could get something exactly like it or very similar, in the same category, from somewhere/one else as well).

It is most likely an Order Taker relationship. They have something they are hoping to sell to me, and I have to decide if there is a want or need at this time. This Vendor relationship is even more pronounced when the conversation starts with some type of inbound message or call to me. In this mode, it feels like they have a hand out, hoping to get something from me.

Beyond B2B Sales

Before we get into the more effective alternative mode, there are two things I need to cover.

First, this isn’t just a B2B sales mode, it is B2C as well. If you are setting up your outreach and/or sales process where you are hoping the prospect selects your commodity over someone else’s based on your outreach (or where you have your table set up at the farmer’s market), then you will mostly be viewed as a vendor, Order Taker.

Second, this can happen to anyone, at any time, even if you didn’t start out wanting to fall into the vendor label. This happened to me. I realized recently, as a result of the conversation where this “reminder” came in, that I have been approaching my clients like a vendor.

I reach out with the goal of helping them. But in a way that will hopefully result in something for me as well. Maybe I have one hand reaching out to help, but the other is open, wanting something. As I step back, I can see how that has probably felt to my clients and network and what results (or lack of) I received from that approach.

Shifting to a Strategic Advisor Mindset

Now, let’s talk about what is a more ideal, long-term mindset and approach: Strategic Advisor.

As a Strategic Advisor, compared to a Vendor, your goal is to advise them in some way that will help them with their business or role. To give them strategies they weren’t thinking about, forgot about, or were contemplating but needed some confirmation.

When done with the right intentions, the Strategic Advisor mindset is one of being a giver. To give to the other person. Not give-to-get. Just to give. And, if an opportunity arises to help in some way via a business relationship (customer/client), that should be a nice surprise outcome but not the main goal.

If you give-to-get, people will feel that. It can be obvious.

Also, since you are fundamentally a salesperson in their mind – no matter what your title - they are already expecting a sales pitch to arrive in the conversation at some point. When will the hammer drop? They don’t know but they know it will.

Effective Communication Strategies

In your calls, meetings, and outreach – how can you shift their perception of you to that of Strategic Advisor? Asking a lot of questions, being curious, using active listening, offering suggestions/strategies/tactics, recommending content (books, podcasts, videos, blogs, people to follow on social media, etc.) – all before talking about anything to do with them buying from you, or hiring you to help.

When done right, the role of Strategic Advisor is focused on them, their situation, and their business – all with the goal of helping them get to a better place. With or without being paid for your help.

When done right, there should be a natural point in the conversation where they ask about your help/service/product. Where they want to know about what you are doing and if it will help them.

Conclusion

Note – I am not encouraging you to be an Order Taker. I want you to give first, and again – not give-to-get. And when that time comes when they are interested in what you have to offer, it’s go time! Time to be a sales professional that can help them in alignment with everything you strategically gave them.Quantity. Not Quality. Top line volume. Not bottom-line profit.