About 17 years ago, I was working as a regional sales manager for a fast growing technology business. One of our customers from another region was having significant issues and getting pressured to take all of their business to our one and only competitor. We decided to call a strategy session by bringing in about six of us to throw ideas at the board and develop an approach – I was asked to be part of that session.
The sales person that owned the account couldn’t get a return call or appointment with his point of contact. During our strategy session, my boss (the sales person’s boss’ boss) asked about the point of contact: What does he do outside the office? Does he have kids? How can you casually bump into him? How can you approach him with a topic different than business?
The sales person had no answers. Then, he really threw himself in quicksand with his words: “The last time I spoke to him was when I took him out drinking on Rush Street at that show we did in Chicago.”
“What? You did what? You spent an entire night out with this guy and you know nothing about him? Really? What did you do? How do you know he even likes partying?” Then my boss went off for a while on a diatribe that delivered the silver bullet:
“It’s not about entertaining, it’s about getting to know each other.”
That’s it. That’s what I needed to hear. I don’t remember if we saved that account or not, but I know that I left with a better feeling about my strategy moving forward. I was young and couldn’t get my hands around the entertaining thing. I kept feeling like a prostitute – “I’ll take you here and there because you buy from me” just didn’t sit well in my gut. This concept sat very well with me – it’s about getting to know each other.
Guess what? You don’t have to take them out partying on Las Vegas Blvd. You don’t have to fly them to the Superbowl in your company’s jet (I know most of you don’t have to worry about this one, but thought it would be fun to mention). All you have to do is ask some personal questions. Get to know your customer a little. Let them know you. You can do this in your regular sales calls, or over a simple lunch. It’s about getting to know and trust each other. Don’t’ misunderstand what I’m saying … taking your customers to the best steak house in town is a nice gesture. However, make sure you get past the surface and get to know each other as you’re gorging on that $65 ribeye.
If you think I can help your organization with approach to the market and your sales people’s ability to build personal relationships, please click here.
