This is an experience I had on my sales call. The prospect is a software company and needed a program on Relationship Building
Scene I: The meeting started. I handed my business card. The executive said that he has not carried his business card. The brief was as follows:
The participants need to sell software products and services on the net to different geographies. The executives need to interact with virtual teams distributed in different countries. Different stages of selling be it generating leads, telecalling, order closing etc. were discussed.
I : What are the critical issues in selling?
Client: Of course it is Making reationship with others.
I: Why are you so keen on relationship as a subject?
Client: We are a process driven company. This is one of our important metric.
The meeting was over in 35 minutes.
Scene II: In the same company I happened to catch up with my old friend called Jaideep. We were meeting after almost 10 years. We had no business relationship still we exchanegd cards. ( I suppose with a mobile and email ID one can continue the relationship later), discussed about common friends, families and their well beings, career paths. Having travelled 20 KMS in the scorching summer heat, he offered me a glass of water, and at the end we had tea in the canteen.
While leaving I felt like being connected back with an old friend. It was indeed a meeting, an experience to cherish.
In the first instance the client categorically told the importance of relationship. For him what the vendor did was not quite significant.
Can relationships be built because they are a part of the required competency or a metric through a training program or is it because two human beings come together without any hidden agenda?
For more details please refer "Contextual Selling" by the author at: www.paradigm-info.com
Scene I: The meeting started. I handed my business card. The executive said that he has not carried his business card. The brief was as follows:
The participants need to sell software products and services on the net to different geographies. The executives need to interact with virtual teams distributed in different countries. Different stages of selling be it generating leads, telecalling, order closing etc. were discussed.
I : What are the critical issues in selling?
Client: Of course it is Making reationship with others.
I: Why are you so keen on relationship as a subject?
Client: We are a process driven company. This is one of our important metric.
The meeting was over in 35 minutes.
Scene II: In the same company I happened to catch up with my old friend called Jaideep. We were meeting after almost 10 years. We had no business relationship still we exchanegd cards. ( I suppose with a mobile and email ID one can continue the relationship later), discussed about common friends, families and their well beings, career paths. Having travelled 20 KMS in the scorching summer heat, he offered me a glass of water, and at the end we had tea in the canteen.
While leaving I felt like being connected back with an old friend. It was indeed a meeting, an experience to cherish.
In the first instance the client categorically told the importance of relationship. For him what the vendor did was not quite significant.
Can relationships be built because they are a part of the required competency or a metric through a training program or is it because two human beings come together without any hidden agenda?
For more details please refer "Contextual Selling" by the author at: www.paradigm-info.com
