Have Your People Call Our People - This Doesn't Work - If You Want To Help - Do Something About It

Have your people call our people!!
No! It should be YOU call ME!! Or I’ll call YOU.
This doesn’t mean you should always take on a do it yourself attitude. You can still have your people talk to their people but you make the arrangements. Let all concerned know that you are interested. Stay in touch, make sure things are happening the way you want them to or the way you promised.
Businesses don’t do business with businesses. People do business with people. It’s good to refer but don’t just pass on the name. Follow it up later to see if anyone took action on your referral. You can also take credit for the referral.
Sales People are interested in making the sale by learning about the customer and about the requirement and then imparting all the information to the Buyer.
Buyers have a requirement and a budget. They probably even have a preferred supplier but there is a lot more than just the product or service. There is a variety of choices such as colour, size, quantity breaks, shipping / delivery points and there is also packaging to consider. All this and the budget to consider. They really want no surprises once they’ve placed their order. They really want to feel confident that everything will arrive as and when planned. That’s why the incumbent supplier has an edge. The comfort zone.
If you want this order you have to knock out the champion. Your offer has to not only be superior, but the sales person / buyer relationship has to be there.
In my business, I have a slogan ‘your ideas and our experience’. I have always worked to make it easy for the customer to buy from me. Customer service before – and once you get the order – you get the chance to prove the customer service after.
The plan is to become your customers preferred supplier while the customer is becoming a premium customer.
Buyer or Supplier, you have the right to a good deal. This will happen when you have a good relationship. Now that doesn’t mean you have to lunch every day and play golf on the weekends, but it does mean paying attention to details, return calls quickly, quote quickly, help each other with specifications and generally be ‘business’ friends.