Building B2B Relationships: How to Identify, Map and Develop Key Relationships to Win More Business

by Ryan O'Sullivan

Overview

With more people involved in B2B buying decisions and key accounts becoming more complex than ever, it's imperative to have clear visibility into who the decision makers are and a strategy for how you will engage with them.

Building B2B Relationships presents a step-by-step guide to identifying, mapping and developing key stakeholder relationships, helping you to win more and win faster.

Providing a flexible methodology that can sit alongside whatever sales process you have in place, this book supports your end-to-end relationship management effort, whether it's helping you win more large complex deals, making new or important engagements a success or putting a framework in place to support the growth of your largest and most strategic accounts. By mapping, monitoring and measuring your relationships with all relevant stakeholders, you'll be able to better utilize each one. With real-world examples from major global organizations, learn how you can leverage your B2B relationships to maximize outcomes for all parties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781398615410
Publisher:	Kogan Page, Ltd.
Publication date:	12/31/2024
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Dr Ryan O'Sullivan is a senior executive, board member, business adviser, university lecturer and author. He has spent his career perfecting and then evangelizing a 'relationship first' approach to growing revenue. Based near Nice, France he currently works for relationship mapping company Introhive where he advises clients such as PwC, Deloitte and KPMG on how they can better utilize their firmwide relationships to improve business performance. Prior to this, he spent 8 years at Infosys, applying the same relationship mapping methodology to improve the win rate of strategic deals and to better manage key accounts.

Table of Contents

** Chapter - 00: Introduction ** Chapter - 01: Why do relationships matter? ** Chapter - 02: What are trusted business relationships and the key steps to build them ** Chapter - 03: Introducing relationship mapping: what it is, its origins and why it's important ** Chapter - 04: How to build and execute a relationship map: step 1, initial mapping of relationships ** Chapter - 05: How to build and execute a relationship map: step 2, desktop research and intelligence gathering ** Chapter - 06: How to build and execute a relationship map: step 3, relationship engagement strategy ** Chapter - 07: Relationship maps applied to key deals ** Chapter - 08: Relationship maps applied to key projects

Editorial Reviews

"Dr. O'Sullivan masterfully delves into the art of relationship-building, offering insightful strategies for sellers to forge authentic connections that drive successful outcomes. You can tell he's not only an expert on managing relationships, but he has lived it. This book is packed with actionable advice and compelling case studies, making it an indispensable guide for anyone aiming to thrive in B2B sales."

Timothy Kieth

"Creating value across the private equity life cycle, from origination to portfolio management and exit, requires the ability to identify and develop trusted relationships with key executives. This book provides a clear framework with a pragmatic approach that any professional can use to strengthen relationships and achieve superior outcomes."

Private Equity Executive James Morris

"Dr O'Sullivan has captured a compelling combination of process, science and human behaviour to bring together a truly actionable blueprint for creating better relationships beyond merely a sales process. From relationship mapping to cross selling and responding to RFPs, this is a comprehensive guide to creating a B2B strategy for any business looking to grow and expand. This is best practice and then some!"

Kevin Smith

"What Ryan has done with this brilliant and authoritative book is take a contemporary perspective of all the factors that help to develop new B2B relationships and nurture existing relationships. Combining his professional experience with his doctoral research we have in this book an extensive account of how to explore the science and art of relationship building. A must read for those entering sales, for account managers and for sales leaders interested in territory management and account planning."

Dr Philip Squire

"Dr. O'Sullivan provides an insightful and thorough resource to people who understand the value and hard work of developing and nurturing relationships. He presents a compelling case for investing in relationship maps. The book is a "must keep close" for those who want to excel."

Bruce Parker

"Relationships shape how we prioritise our time in life, and they largely drive how successful we are in life. In the professional services world, everyone will say they invest solid time in building trusted relationships. A little like everyone is client focused. The reality is often quite different. I firmly believe that a lead indicator of the future success of any professional can be found in the quality of their relationship maps - both inside and outside of their organisations. I challenge anyone in our industry not to find at least one actionable insight from Ryan's book. I found several. He is the right guy to be writing this book."

Paul English

"Building B2B Relationships by Ryan O'Sullivan is a must-read for anyone serious about leveraging partnerships for business growth. Partnerships were the cornerstone of my success in scaling startups to $100 million exits, and this book is essentially a cheat code to partnership success. Ryan lays out practical, actionable strategies that make building and nurturing key relationships straightforward and effective. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this book is an invaluable resource."

Callum Mckeefery

"In a world of increasing complexity good relationships really matter. Building B2B Relationships is a wonderfully pragmatic book, full of wisdom, techniques and templates providing the reader with everything they need to know about developing and leveraging collaborative relationships, existing and new, to be successful in B2B sales. It will be a valuable reference point for our students and anyone working in B2B sales."

Dr. Louise Sutton

"In my opinion Dr. Ryan O'Sullivan does an excellent job of exploring the intricacies of building relationships, providing valuable insights into how sellers can identify and establish genuine connections that lead to mutually beneficial outcomes. The book offers practical advice and real-world examples that make it an essential resource for anyone looking to excel in B2B sales.

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V. S. Srividhya

"Ryan's book is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding about the approach to building stronger B2B relationships. His experience and thoughtful approach shine through on every page, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. I've had the privilege of working alongside Ryan and have always admired his ability to approach challenges with clarity and creativity. This book is a reflection of his expertise and passion, and I have no doubt it will inspire and guide readers across all industries."

Rajesh Krishnamurthy

"This book brilliantly captures the essence of what it takes to build, maintain, and effectively leverage business relationships. The insights and strategies provide a practical tool kit that any leader can apply immediately to drive meaningful results."

Mohit Joshi

"In the complex world of the global logistics industry, operational excellence is built on strong relationships across all levels, cultures, and time zones. This book provides actionable insights and a clear process for enhancing the relationships that matter most. It's an essential read for anyone responsible for driving performance in large-scale complex operations."

Trevor Hoyle