Tell me about a time when you had to build a relationship with a new client. What steps did you take?

Situation

In my previous job as a junior sales coordinator for a lubricant distributor, I was assigned to onboard a mid-sized logistics company that had never used our products before.

Task

I needed to establish trust and convert them into a regular bulk-buying client within three months.

Action

First, I researched the company's fleet size and typical maintenance schedules through their public permits. Then I requested a brief introductory meeting, not to sell, but to understand their current lubricant challenges. During the meeting, I actively listened to their complaints about longer engine oil change intervals. I followed up with a tailored proposal highlighting how our product could reduce downtime by 500 engine-hours annually, using data from a similar fleet. I also invited their maintenance head to a free half-day lubrication training hosted by our company. After the training, I sent a handwritten thank-you note and a sample kit.

Result

Within two months, they placed an initial order of 200 liters per week, which grew to 500 liters weekly by the fifth month. The relationship lasted beyond my tenure.