In marketing, specifically SMS or text message marketing, it’s easy to resort to the “spray-and-pray” approach. But customers see right through that. This is why personalization and authenticity are needed more than ever.
And the best way to communicate authentically and personably? Relationship selling through text marketing.
What is Relationship Selling?
Relationship selling is a strategy that prioritizes building strong, lasting customer connections. It’s a customer-centric approach that’s based on the belief that building a positive relationship with customers leads to increased loyalty, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
In the context of text marketing, relationship selling involves using text messages not just to push products or services but to engage customers on a personal level. Selling like this humanizes your brand and builds trust and rapport.
Related: How Connection Drives Business Growth
What’s the Difference Between Relationship Selling and Transactional Selling?
Relationship selling and transactional selling differ on topics including:
- Customer relationships
- Timeline
- Customer interaction
- Value propositions
- Customer retention
Customer Relationship
Relationship selling primarily focuses on building and nurturing long-term relationships with customers. The sales process is viewed as a continuous interaction to understand customer needs, provide personalized solutions, and create trust and loyalty.
In contrast, transactional selling is more focused on closing individual sales transactions. It doesn’t prioritize building a deeper, ongoing relationship with customers.
Timeline
Relationship selling takes a long-term perspective. You invest time in understanding a customer’s needs, maintaining regular communication, and providing ongoing support. The goal is to build a relationship that extends beyond the initial sale.
Transactional selling tends to have a shorter timeline because the main goal is to complete the sale quickly. You prioritize efficiency and speed in the transaction process over building long-term relationships.
Customer interaction
Relationship selling involves more personalized and interactive communication with customers. You aim to understand the customer’s unique needs and concerns and provide solutions tailored just to them.
Customer interaction in transactional selling is usually standardized and focused on the immediate sale. Product features, pricing, and closing the deal are emphasized rather than building a deep understanding of the customer.
Value Proposition
The value proposition in relationship selling is more than the product or service itself. It includes the overall experience, customer service, and the ongoing benefits of a long-term relationship.
By implementing this method of selling, customers are more likely to be loyal and repeat buyers.
The value proposition in transactional selling is often centered around the specific product or service being offered. Immediate needs are met that will make the sale attractive at that moment.
Customer Retention
Relationship Selling puts a high emphasis on customer retention. Strong relationships create brand loyalty and reduce the likelihood of customers seeking alternatives.
While repeat business is valued in transactional selling, this approach may focus less on long-term customer retention. The emphasis is primarily on attracting new customers and completing individual transactions.
Why Relationship Selling Matters
Consumers today are more discerning than ever, and bombarding them with generic text promotions leads to disengagement. By adopting relationship selling in text marketing, your business differentiates itself by creating a personalized experience for your audience.
This leads to:
- higher engagement
- stronger loyalty
- improved customer lifetime value (CLV)
- better brand reputation
As consumers become increasingly wary of invasive advertising, relationship selling in text marketing is a way to connect without being intrusive. When customers feel valued and understood, they are more likely to stay subscribed to your text list, resulting in a more receptive audience for marketing efforts.
Relationship Selling Tips
Personalize Your Messages
One of the fundamental principles in relationship selling is personalization. You have to do more than just address recipients by name. Use customer data to tailor your messages based on their interests, preferences, purchase history, past communication, etc.
Customers feel valued and appreciated when they receive a text that is tailored specifically to them. This individual attention drives customer engagement and makes them more likely to take action.
Here are some simple tips to personalize text messages:
- Segment or group your audience
- Reference past interactions
- Reference customer insights (demographics, last purchase, etc.)
- Tailor the message to their interests
Personalize business text messages in ways like this to help your messages stand out from other generic business communications. This results in more responses, improved customer satisfaction, and increased conversions.
Engage in Two-Way Communication
Relationships require conversations. Simply texting deals to a mass audience doesn’t start conversations and won’t build genuine relationships. Two-way text messaging creates a space for back-and-forth communication.
When appropriate, encourage recipients to respond, ask questions, provide feedback, or seek clarification. Use text marketing as a channel for feedback, questions, or even casual conversations. Doing this creates texts that capture attention and actually build relationships that lead to longer-term customers.
Related: What is Conversational Texting?
Be Aware of Timing
One of the quickest ways to harm a relationship is to send texts at the wrong time. Be mindful of when you send messages. Avoid bombarding customers at inconvenient times (such as early mornings and the middle of the night), and consider their time zones. Timing can significantly impact the effectiveness of your communication.
Related: When Is the Best Time to Send a Marketing Text Message to Make Sure It Gets Seen?
Provide Quality Content
Generic content often fails to resonate with audiences in a meaningful way and is more likely to be ignored or marked as spam. Instead, deliver content that adds value to customers’ lives. Whether it’s tips, advice, or entertaining content, make sure your messages positively impact customers’ experience with your business.
Be Consistent Across Channels
Whether your brand is professional, friendly, or funny, maintaining a consistent tone and brand voice across all communication channels is important. It creates brand recognition and reinforces your business identity. Align your texts with your brand voice to create a cohesive and memorable experience for your audience.
Continue Nurturing Relationships
Don’t disappear after you make a sale. Relationship selling is an ongoing process that goes beyond the initial sale. Continue checking in with customers from time to time. For example, send additional relevant content, invite them to events, send them a birthday text, etc.
To make outreach easier, automate follow-up messages with Skipio. Skipio’s automated drip campaigns make sure you never forget to follow up with customers. You increase replies and conversions without spending tons of manual time reaching out.
You’ll turn one-time buyers into loyal advocates by consistently keeping conversations alive and delivering value through text messages.
Example Scenario of Relationship Selling via Text Message Marketing
Sarah is the owner of a small but thriving boutique beauty supplies store. She understands the power of relationship selling and decides to use text message marketing to enhance her customer connections.
Sarah has been building her customer database through in-store sign-ups and online registrations. She decides to start her text marketing strategy with a welcome message to new subscribers, expressing gratitude for their interest and offering an exclusive discount on their next purchase.
As Sarah learns more about her customers’ preferences, she uses text messages to provide personalized product recommendations. For example, if a customer frequently purchases organic skincare products, she sends a message introducing a new line of organic beauty items with a special discount.
To encourage two-way communication, Sarah occasionally sends out polls or surveys via text. For instance, she asks customers about their favorite beauty trends or invites them to vote on potential new product lines. This engagement gathers valuable feedback and strengthens the community among her customers.
Sarah makes it a point to celebrate her customers’ birthdays. A week before a customer’s birthday, she sends a personalized text message with a special discount code or a free gift offer. This thoughtful gesture boosts sales around birthdays and creates a positive association between the brand and a memorable occasion.
During holiday seasons, Sarah sends out holiday greetings and promotions through text messages. Whether it’s a Valentine’s special, Thanksgiving gratitude message, or Christmas sale announcement, she makes sure that her customers are informed and feel appreciated.
After each purchase, Sarah sends an automated but personalized thank-you text to the customer thanking them for their support. She may include a discount code for their next visit or simply show her appreciation. These small gestures go a long way in building a strong relationship with customers.
Sarah successfully nurtures a loyal customer base by incorporating relationship selling strategies in her text marketing approach. Her personalized and engaging messages make customers feel valued, and the two-way communication creates a sense of community. As a result, Sarah’s boutique stands out in the competitive beauty industry, with customers not just making purchases but becoming loyal brand advocates.
Relationship Selling is a Timeless Strategy
Connecting with customers through personalized, two-way communication creates loyalty and improves customers’ experience with your business. By using relationship selling strategies, you gain a competitive advantage, transforming first-time buyers into long-term loyal customers.
Even as technology advances, the personal element of relationship selling always stays important in successful marketing.
Start Texting with Skipio
Don’t wait — start building meaningful relationships with Skipio. Our conversational texting platform specifically helps sales teams and business owners quickly and efficiently implement text message outreach.
Schedule a demo to learn more about Skipio’s texting features.
