We work so hard getting in the door. We then practice over and over again to make sure our prospects see the value of our solution rather than the price of our products, and we do our best to get them to view us as partners rather than vendors. Regardless, sometimes we don’t get the call when there is an opportunity in the future. Why? The one thing that a prospect must do in order to buy from you is remember you.
Most security or IT departments create a budget or make an impulse purchase because of an issue that has risen to the top. When this happens, your prospect must remember you and remember that this is your specialty (whatever “this” is).
How can we do this?
Make yourself and your presentation memorable by creating powerful moments – we remember moments, not presentations. Don’t discuss pixels and service accolades, tell stories that resonate with them.
I once explained Vector Firm to the CEO of a security manufacturer for about 40 minutes and he still didn’t get it. I then shared a story comparing my wife to a UPS driver – this took about 90 seconds. Not only did he get it, he called me about three months later and asked me to tell his management team the story “about your wife and the UPS drive”. That caught a laugh, and we’ve worked together on five projects in the last five years. His comment was more entertaining than the story, but the story was memorable – not the accolades and MBA-speak I used before. Tell stories. Your customers and prospects will remember them and you’ll get the call months later when they have an opportunity.
