I have to write about this subject because I was in a sales pitch presentation today and I walked away from the presentation angry and frustrated. I wanted the product but the approach taken by the company to get my business was completely inappropriate and insulting.

The tool being pitched was a wonderful marketing tool which, as a sales person, would most likely prove to be invaluable to me and my business. In short, the product would help me to communicate my company message through email, trade shows, and networking events. Provided I made the message provocative and attractive, the tool could possibly provide me with a great opportunity to get people to pass my message along.

Unfortunately, it was "pitched" to me -- a sales person -- as a tool that would eliminate my sales team. The pitch person showed me a graphic of a sales person selling watches out of his pocket. In essence, I was told that this product would eliminate the need for a sales team and I would be out of a job. As you can well imagine, I shut down right there. I was absolutely insulted by this tactic. I guess the person selling to me thought I would take his message to my boss. "Hey boss, here's a great way to get rid of me. Why don't we invest in this product!"

Here's the moral of this story: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE! KNOW YOUR CLIENT!

If the person giving the sales pitch had said, "Hey, we know sales people are reluctant to make cold calls," I would have completely agreed. If they said, "This product will eliminate the cold call process and fill your pipeline with pre-qualitified, informed leads," I would have stood up and cheered. In fact, I might have even reached into MY pocket to purchase his product because it would have made my job easier.

Please always listen to the customer first and sell to their personal hopes, desires, and pain. Come up with a solution to meet their needs and they will be loyal to you. Don't leave it up to your literature to create the relationship. Make the call and get to know people thereby ensuring you are sympathetic to their needs and then sell to them.

HERE'S YOUR AUDIENCE: THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE

Their whole world is wrapped around two tenets:
1. Follow the rules
2. Make it easy

If you can ask them how to follow proper protocol when working with them and how you can make their day a little easier, they'll open right up. If you can follow the rules and make it easy for them to buy from you, they'll buy from you for years to come.

Good Luck and Go Get 'Em!