Stop Selling. Start Relating.


It was a typical workday. I made a usual stop at a shop on my list and began chatting with the owner. Our paths have crossed regularly about 2-3 times a week over the last two-plus years. He couldn’t wait to tell me about a new product he has been working on for the past few months, and I, of course, engaged in the conversation about his newest creation with interest, as I knew it was going to be impressive.

It was during his presentation that I looked up and said, “You know, we do this….right? We have the connections you need to take this to the next level you just mentioned.” He stopped and stared at me, and said, “You’ve been in here for two years, and you have never pitched me…why?”

To which I responded…
“Just waiting for the right timing. I’ve been watching, you know,” I said with a wink. “I can see it’s time now.”

At that point, we set up a date and scheduled our discovery meeting. I really do believe in timing.

You know the saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come,”? I think that’s very true in our marketing services world as well. When the customer or client is ready, they are ready! If they aren’t—well, they just aren’t. So why push it? Why insist on trying to sell them on something they might not be ready for or truly need?

Some of my colleagues hold a different philosophy. They pound the pavement, keep the pipeline packed and are more proactive in nature. They have some pretty high-reaching sales goals, and you know? —good for them!

At Epiphany, it’s a tad different. We don’t just want your check; what we are looking for is a partnership. We don’t want to just “date” –  we want to get “married”, as they say in the business world. We truly want to have a healthy, long-term relationship with our clients and produce positive results for them and their business.

But back to the story about our soon-to-be-client. This particular business and the owner are already a match made in heaven for Epiphany—not only do they fit our core client wish-list, but we have been able to develop a long-standing relationship with them and have earned their trust over time.

Relational Marketing
Time and time again, I note how the process of gaining clients can take a few years, but in the end those waits are generally more than worth it and often result in truly fabulous partnerships. It’s all about one word—relationship.

It’s amazing how we can go through our days and miss this essential feature of life, of work… of everything. Anything we do, if you stop to think about it, basically involves some sort, or some level of, relationship.

Your customers and clients probably feel the same way, you know. If you and I are willing to take the time to develop a relationship with them, learn to listen, strive to solve the problem rather than “sell” them something, then more than likely we will all experience a much happier ending!

Final Thoughts
With that, I encourage you to think about this as you go about your day: make today a day that is not motivated by ‘I am going to be nice so I can get something down the road’, but a day whose motivation could be: I have no idea where this might go, so I am going to invest positively and enjoy the ride.’

We love our clients. They are fabulous, creative, lovely business-minded people. And we are so blessed to have the privilege of serving them. We aren’t just saying that: as a team—we mean it.

I will tell you, I can’t wait for this new client to join the Epiphany family. Ironically, they already are just that…family, and have been for several years! So the rest will be easy. Finding their pain point and striving to solve it, and looking ahead for them to work out a map for the best way forward?—those are the parts we love.

It’s something we are sincerely passionate about when it comes to our clients. We are completely devoted to our people, not just their brands. We are a bit protective, and perhaps a bit cautious at times, I will admit. But that is because we take the fact that they have chosen to partner with and invest in us seriously. And we want to keep that trust.

Basically, we love what we do, and we love those with whom we work. I’d have to say, it’s going to be a very good day.
Wishing you the same,
—Stephanie

Why not let the Epiphany team be of service to you? We’d love to help you design and build your vision. We’re always up for the journey! See you soon.

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