The best sales conversations I’ve ever had didn’t happen in an office.
They happened at a dinner table, in a lobby, or standing in someone else’s hallway.
Early in my career, I did the cubicle thing. Banker. Broker. Eight or nine hours a day, same four walls, talking over the phone. By two o’clock I was done.
When I found channel management, I found my lane.
Meeting partners at their place of business is an adventure. You pick up things fast. Is the office spotless or a little chaotic? Casual or buttoned up? Who’s in the supporting roles? How do they treat each other?
None of that shows up on a phone call.
I look at pictures on the wall. Family. Hobbies. Faith. Those aren’t small talk starters. They’re the foundation of a real relationship.
And relationships aren’t built in a one-time close.
Take a partner to lunch. Better yet, dinner. Invite the spouse. Watch what happens when the conversation shifts from formal to casual. That’s when you hear the real stuff. True pain points. Real risk tolerance. Where the actual opportunity lives.
The more depth you build, the less the sale is about price.
It becomes about comfort. It becomes about trust. Channel management stops feeling like sales and starts feeling like a visit among friends who have mutual respect and accountability.
That’s the joy of business.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about a client that you never would’ve found out over a Zoom call?