From KPI to Connection: What This CEO Does Differently
- Alison Nissen
- Aug 21
- 2 min read
Business Isn’t Just a Transaction—It’s a Relationship
In today’s metric-driven world, it’s natural to focus on numbers like sales targets, conversion rates, and KPIs. But behind every click, call, and contract is a real person. When we take this to heart, everything transforms. Business stops being transactional and becomes relational.
The most successful brands don’t just sell—they connect. A study from Harvard Business Review[i] found that customers who have a positive emotional experience are more likely to remain loyal. That loyalty is born out of connection, not persuasion.
It’s common to hear someone say, “I hate selling.” This often stems from the way we’ve been taught to view sales as merely pushing products onto others. However, the key to true business success lies in listening first. By taking the time to understand what someone truly needs, we can transform the conversation.
And customers can tell the difference.
Emotionally connected customers have a higher lifetime value—a lived experience that we can all relate to. When we believe in a product or service, we aren’t just buyers, we are devotees who will return again and again because we feel something. We feel understood, appreciated, even known.
In a recent ABOVE CENTER® Leadership Podcast, Chris Greco, CEO, Principal, and Director of Institutional Sales at Waycross Partners, emphasizes the importance of always remembering who they serve: retirees who dedicated decades to public service or physically demanding jobs. Each Monday morning, Chris invites a different client to join the team calls to share their WHY. This allows the team to hear client stories directly, promoting personal connections that prioritize the purpose of making an impact over just meeting performance targets.
When we stop “selling” and start building relationships, sales become the byproduct. People buy from people they trust. When we show up consistently with care, we open more than a transaction—we open a relationship.
[i] Kriss, Peter. 2014. “The Value of Customer Experience, Quantified.” Harvard Business Review. August 1, 2014. https://hbr.org/2014/08/the-value-of-customer-experience-quantified.
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About the author: As the co-founder and Chief Storytelling Officer of Revel Coach, a career growth platform, Alison Nissen helps leaders perfect their business pitches and online presence through storytelling. Successful executives use key storytelling points to engage their audience and gain market share because they know good storytelling is the best form of marketing, recruiting, and fundraising. Write Your Book NOW! Mastermind enrolling now.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.
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