Customers prefer to do business with people who seem genuinely interested in them and care about their concerns. Unless salespeople appropriately start and nurture customer relationships, customers will not return, and they certainly will not refer their friends. Successful contractors teach their entire staff how to develop strong customer relationships. Some company leaders educate their sales force about customer relations by using buzzwords such as “total quality management,” “customer satisfaction index,” “zero defects,” “client service,” etc. But what does all this mean to salespeople? A fundamental change has taken place in customer service, and the companies who realize this and adapt will be the companies that achieve success in 2012 and beyond. Relationships = Construction Sales Profitable customer relationships must be built upon a solid…