Being a good salesperson isn’t all about winning new business

Of course winning new customers is important. It’s the lifeblood of every business, and we all need it to grow.

But what about the salesperson who’s spent years building relationships, protecting key accounts and consistently growing the existing customer base?

A company that’s bringing in new business through the front door and losing it out the back door isn’t growing. It’s standing still at best.

Maintaining and developing a £3m portfolio can take just as much skill and effort as winning £1m of new business. Yet sometimes it feels like the salespeople bringing in new business get all the recognition and accolades, whilst those quietly looking after and growing existing accounts get overlooked.

Both are hugely important, and the best sales teams need a balance of the two.

So which do you think is harder in today’s market, winning new customers, or retaining and growing the ones you’ve already got?