Sales Not for the Purpose of Closing Deals: A Huobi HTX Key Account Manager's Long-termism Methodology

The "VIP Guardian Program" is a series of interview columns launched by HTX, focusing on key account service practices. Every Tuesday, it invites frontline key account managers from the platform to share real service experiences, market observations, and customer demand insights, conveying a service philosophy of long-termism and showcasing HTX's professional and stable customer service capabilities.

This episode of the "VIP Guardian Program" invites Michael, a Key Account Manager at HTX, to share his insights. Focusing on key account service and sales practices in the crypto industry, he deeply exchanges his frontline experience and thoughts.

In traditional sales contexts, "how to close deals quickly" is almost the dominant theory in all sales training. However, today as the crypto industry moves towards professional and institutional development, traditional hunting-style sales rules have become ineffective.

Facing increasingly rational and professional high-net-worth users and institutional clients, how to provide long-term companionship, professional support, and resource synergy is becoming a new dimension of competition among platforms.

Michael entered the crypto industry in 2016, having held key positions such as issuance, marketing, and investment/financing in multiple companies, and conducted roadshows in multiple countries. Currently, he serves multiple Top-tier institutional clients at HTX, leading his team to achieve annual profits exceeding 20 million USDT and driving trading volumes to hundreds of billions of USDT.

Combining ten years of industry experience across different functions and cycles, Michael discusses building long-term partnerships starting from solving customer problems. He tells the method of an excellent key account manager building long-term value, also highlighting HTX's consistent user service philosophy.

The Philosophy of "Anti-Utilitarian Sales" Not Aimed at Closing Deals

During the livestream, Michael stated plainly that the failure of many salespeople lies precisely in "wanting to close the deal too much."

Michael, with a Marketing background, has a more macro perspective than ordinary salespeople after transitioning to a Key Account Manager. He knows well that when facing high-net-worth and institutional clients, any tactics with strong purposiveness will be seen through instantly. The "utilitarian mindset" of desperately wanting to close a deal not only distorts sales actions but also triggers the customer's instinctive defense mechanisms.

Michael once encountered a top-tier client. During the initial contact, the other party frankly stated, "I almost receive invitations from salespeople of various trading platforms every day; I know why you want to see me." Facing such a client, Michael did not rush to pitch products, only maintaining moderate communication. Learning that the client was traveling for business, he specially arranged a dinner with hometown flavors based on the other party's preferences. During the meal, there were not many business topics, only pleasant interactive communication. This "purposeless" sincerity won the greatest trust instead, and the client voluntarily promised: "When I start trading again in the future, I will definitely look for you."

In Michael's view, the essence of sales is not facilitating transactions, but building long-term trust relationships, so understanding users always comes before conversion. This non-utilitarian mindset instead makes closing deals a natural result that comes effortlessly.

"The customer's problem is the problem I need to solve." This is another workplace rule for Michael as a salesperson.

According to Michael, there was once an overseas client who had slight complaints about HTX and Global Advisor Justin Sun due to market rumors. Facing the client's doubts, Michael patiently recounted HTX's development journey in recent years, as well as Justin Sun's support for the platform's long-term development, responding to the client's concerns with facts.

Michael believes that there is no fixed template for key account service. Whether Eastern clients prefer gentle relationship building, or Western clients pursue logically rigorous professional output, one must always think from the customer's standpoint, respond to different needs with customized solutions, and make every communication an opportunity to build trust.

True Customer Relationships Are a Continuously Growing Resource Pool

If closing deals is not the core driving force, then what exactly is the ultimate asset of a Key Account Manager?

Based on nearly ten years of industry observation, Michael proposes the "Customer Management Compounding Model": customers are no longer viewed as one-time transaction objects, but as a long-term asset pool that can continuously accumulate and expand.

Michael believes that trust transfer naturally exists between customers. When a customer recognizes a person's professional capability and service attitude, they will not only continue to cooperate but also proactively introduce partners of the same level or even higher levels around them. Over time, this trust network will bring a continuous stream of resource compounding.

Under this compounding effect, causing qualitative change through continuous quantitative change brings not only the leap in the circles and levels an individual can access, but also an overall difference in the level and pattern of affairs they can handle.

A Little Advice for Young People: Persistence Is More Important Than Choice

At the end of the livestream, Michael offered sincere advice to all young practitioners feeling lost in complex cycles: do not change tracks frequently, and do not pursue results too early.

Michael frankly stated: "What truly determines a person's growth speed is the determination to continuously delve deep into a field. When you have accumulated enough in an industry for long enough, customers, resources, and opportunities will naturally gather towards you. Persistence itself is the scarcest capability."

Combining the industry's development history, Michael reflected with deep emotion: "The crypto industry has only developed in the last ten years or so. Many top-tier institutions we see today grew step by step from 'individuals' in the early years. The industry has given everyone many opportunities. Therefore, in this era full of variables, long-termism is never empty talk, but compounding realized through time, sincerity, and professionalism."

Full livestream replay: "VIP Guardian Program --- Michael"