Here’s the second example – one that still makes me smile.
In another case, I was with the same research firm, and I had a mid-sized renewal with a regional reseller of wireless services. I looked up their utilization, as in the prior example. The company never used any of our services. Not a good sign. As before, no utilization can mean you’re dead; it’s over – no renewal. For me, this was bad news. If I lost a renewal this big, we risked missing quota.
So I called and left voicemails – even sent faxes – urgently communicating, “let us help you figure out how our services can work for you. We can make this work.”
I had a week left before the renewal deadline. I called early mornings and late nights in hopes that I would get Lisa on the line. One early morning, a day before the due date, she finally picks up. “Is this about the renewal?” she asks nonchalantly. “What do we need to do for it?”
I explained that a simple signature on a renewal form is all that was needed. Lisa said, “OK, send me the paperwork, and I’ll sign and fax it back.” Like any seasoned sales professional, I bit my tongue, shut up and send the paperwork. I get it back, signed, in about five minutes.
At first, I didn’t get it. Then I realized: customers don’t always see you the way you do.
I thought I was selling a great, useful product and service. Lisa knew that our analysts wrote about the telecom industry. She wanted her company to be written up and well-covered. Lisa believed that analysts would give a more favorable spin to companies that were subscribers, though that wasn’t true at my firm and other reputable competitors. However, it was her perception. We were just a “PR spend” and she just wanted to stay in our good graces.
The overall lesson is this: Remember to prepare your go-to-market plan – while looking at the marketplace to find competitive advantages to exploit – with a real sense of the customer at the heart of your planning. Right or wrong, you’ve got to know why your customers want to do business with you. If you don’t know or understand their motives, you won’t know the quickest route to sealing the deal.
Adapted from the forthcoming eBook, “Know Thy Customer” by Jose Palomino
