How to NOT Win a New Account
Before I tell the story it is helpful to know a little background on the business and key players (all names have been changed for privacy reasons).
Jill: Sales representative for a very large, well-respected freight company.
John: Business owner of a large technology manufacturing company. John's business requires a great deal of specialized shipping services for the solutions that he manufactures.
Megan: Administrator to John
Don: Warehouse manager at John's business
Tracie: Senior executive & Don's manager.
I have summarized the story that John shared with me below.
Jill, a hungry sales rep, is trying to win a new freight account. Jill decides to drop into John's main office and asks to see "the owner." Megan asks three simple questions:
- Who are you?
- Why are you here?
- Do you have an appointment?
After all, John has previously told Megan that he never sees sales reps without an appointment.
Jill then asks to see Don, the warehouse manager. Don is several levels down the corporate hierarchy.
Megan asks again very nicely:
- Who are you?
- Why are you here?
- Do you have an appointment?
Jill, rudely and loudly says, "I just want to see Don," and charges past Megan to the warehouse to try to locate him. Not knowing the back story, Don meets with Jill for a short period of time.
Megan updates Don, Tracie and John on Jill's behavior later that day. Tracie immediately sends an email to Jill telling her to NEVER return to their company.
Jill replies to the Tracie's e-mail with; "Yep, No prob."
Later, I asked John what type of communication his company had with Jill's manager after this incident. He responded, "We did not waste our valuable time to tell her manager about it. I have far too much on my plate to award her or her company with this kind of assistance or feedback. She is not deserving."
So exactly what can we (and Jill) learn from this story?
- NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, (did I say never?) treat ANYONE with disrespect. Jill decided that she would disrespect Megan. This is a great example of Win-Loss. Jill won in her mind because she was able to get around Megan and meet with Don. Jill lost, however, because she will never be allowed in that account again.
- If you do not have a deep, trust-based relationship with an account, DO NOT JUST DROP BY. And even if you do have a deep, trust-based relationship with an account, be professional and show respect for your client's time by having an appointment.
- You must realize that the most powerful person in ANY business is the administrator. Administrators for senior executives in large businesses often have a four-year degree. They typically have been promoted to their role after working in the organization for more than ten years. They are EXTREMELY "plugged in" to the company, its policies and operations. Never try to "get around" an administrator. Instead, gain trust with them and recruit them to assist your efforts in the account.
- When you make a mistake, as we all do, admit it and try to make amends. Jill was called out for her behavior and rather than apologize with sincerity she thought a short curt, "Yep, no prob" was appropriate.
Here is one final ironic point to this story. Tracie, a senior executive, is charged with the the shipping and receiving budget. She had just spoken with John about the need to focus on creative ways to drive effectiveness and efficiency of their SHIPPING COSTS and SERVICE! They were looking for help! They had urgency! One thing all reps try to find or create.
All the best,
