Trust-Building Tips for New Salespeople On Long-Term Accounts

As new hires start to take over seasoned sales reps’ accounts, distributors will inevitably face the question of how to maintain quality relationships with long-term clients. But before focusing on the customer relationship, sales teams need to work on building trust internally. 

“Staying involved and interacting with each other creates a bond and builds trust between the younger and older reps,” says Licata. “The younger reps are more in tune with social media and technology, so they can help the older reps with that. And the more-seasoned reps can help the younger reps with product knowledge. It’s a two-way street.” 

Kcehowski concurs. In fact, when pairing up mentors and mentees, she recommends that both partiesagree to ground rules and guidelinesthat reinforce the mutual benefits of the relationship.For example, ‘I agree that you’re never too old to be mentored, and you’re never too young to be a mentee.’ 

“It means I accept that I can learn something from you, and you accept that you can learn something from me,” she explains. “It’s a simple construct, but sometimes those basics are missing.”  

Once internal trust has been established, the sales department will be in a better position to transition the accounts to the new rep, who can then focus on building a bond with the customer.  

“Long-term relationships aren’t built overnight; they require hard work and trust,” notes Licata. “And they can’t be formed via texts and emails. You need to see the customer face to face. The customer needs to know who you are, and you need to know who they are. And if you don’t have that, you’re only as good as the next person that walks in behind you.” 

During the initial meeting, Fagan recommends new hires ask customers to share two to three things the previous rep did that they really responded to. Based on their answers, new hires can get a sense of what’s important to the customer and whether they should service them the same way. 

Similarly, Kcehowski suggests asking the following questions: What should we stop doing? What should we start doing? And what should we continue doing? 

“As long as the person succeeding the sales rep understands what’s important to the customer, they can continue to nurture the relationship and retain the customer,” she says.  

 Invest in Training 

As more retirees exit the workforce, distributors are upping their training programs to prepare the next generation of sales leaders. According to Quan, Waxie Sanitary Supply has invested in training modules that will provide the next generation with quick, easy access to information. Furthermore, the company has recognized the need for veteran employees to share their knowledge companywide before they retire — and acted on it.  

Imperial Dade is also investing in the next generation. In fact, Kcehowski’s position was initially created as part of the company’s strategy to attract and retain talent. 

Training salespeople isn’t solely an inside job: Quan gives a nod to the company’s manufacturer reps for their role in training new hires. 

“Our vendor reps come out every month and help us with training, teaching and demos —and that goes a long way,” he says. “When you have a great team and great supplier partners, it’s easy to get excited about the job and bring that excitement to your clients.”  

There will inevitably be some hurdles, but if distributors can sell the next generation of employees on the value of cleaning as a profession, train to understand across generations, and empower young talent to make key decisions, the strain of the impending exodus of experienced salespeople into retirement will be greatly alleviated.   

Kassandra Kania is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a frequent contributor to Sanitary Maintenance.