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Winning Formula: Put the INTERNAL Customer First!
A GE Energy salesperson reinforced this idea for me. Suppose you are making a complex "systems"/"solutions" sale. To pull it off (get it thoroughly implemented—the basis for repeat business) you need help—LOTS OF—from a host of folks inside GE-wherever. These folks are congenitally overworked—and have a queue of salespersons needing help. Your Goal #1: Get an UNFAIR SHARE (this is the way the GE guy put it) of these insiders' time & energy & attention. The time of the sale is way, way too late. These are Internal Relationships you should have been forming and minding long, long ago.
The "simple" point: By developing a scintillating (extensive, deep) internal network you probably increase your external success dramatically.
(I call all this—inside or out—ROIR. Return On Investment in Relationships.)
Hint/Duh II: It takes a lot of time!
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ROIR = Time x Love x Positive Emotion - Negative Emotion + Professionalism. ROIR = T[L][PE]-NE[+P]
Posted by Sean at June 15, 2006 8:58 AM
Sean, you're obviously aCal Tech grad!
Posted by tom peters at June 15, 2006 9:22 AM
... plead guilty to A's in advanced statistics - OSU Corvallis [rain grows brain cells?] ...
Posted by Sean at June 15, 2006 10:05 AM
Ah, that explains everything. I simply love statistical analysis, and my Stanford mentor got his PhD in stats ... at age 20 ... from the U of Chicago. (Needless to say he ran circles around me--but made me fall in love with the topic. As usual in such things it was hia passion that was the carrier.)
Posted by tom peters at June 15, 2006 12:17 PM
Tom,
Does it really take a LOT of time, or just a LONG time? I've found that most of the relationships I've built (personally or professionally) have been by sprinkling investments of time over a long line.
This allows for the time to be more purposeful instead of simply manipulative (i.e. "I'm going to be in your face until you buy this.").
Posted by DUST!N at June 15, 2006 4:13 PM
I couldn't agree more. I work in one of those types of departments that Sales needs the help from - of course we are consumate professionals for all our internal customers - but the ones who come over and take us out to lunch occasionally....
Posted by PaulH at June 16, 2006 2:50 AM
Thanks, Paul
(An ER doc pal even reports that malpractice actions can be avoided with a gift certificate to a local steak house!)
Posted by tom peters at June 17, 2006 8:55 AM
As an ex sales person I found the relationships inside the company were as crucial as those outside. I agree that these have to be genuine and nurtured over time. I found that crediting the effort of the technical team or customer service team, rather than taking all the plaudits myself worked great. After my first 3 years in sales I won salesman of the year, mainly down to my support network.
Posted by Bill Quinn at June 21, 2006 11:54 AM