Difference between New Account and New relationship

"If you're looking to build a successful business, it doesn't start with sales and evolve to "satisfied" customers (unless you're still selling in 1985). It starts with relationships and builds to loyalty.." quote Jeffrey Gitomer.

I receive a weekly eZine from one of the many sales guru's Jeffrey Gitomer. I highly recommend his eZine, Sales Caffeine, as it's very well produced and strikes the right balance between being informative while still marketing. This weeks article struck a cord with me "The difference between new account and new relationship". He was making the point that when we make a sale that's great but the real sale is that you have forged a new relationship. He expands on this, especially with his relationship check list. Summing up with how important it is to truly relate to your customer.

The article struck a cord because it emphasised the point that we are custodians of an extremely valuable asset in a customers relationship. That relationship represents trust, referrals, testimonials, your next sale and recurring revenue. It begins with the sale but is strengthen with every conversation, meeting, promise kept, problem pre-empted and instance of excellent service. The truly great organisation have this engraved at every level from service desk agent to the CEO, not just one or two sales or relationship managers out in the field.