Jump into Your Customer's Shoes -- What Would You Do If You Encountered a Stranger in the Federal Building?
Jump into Your Customer's
Shoes -- What Would You Do If You Encountered a Stranger in the Federal
Building?
by Eileen Kent
Consider for a moment that you are an employee for the federal government. What would it be like to encounter someone who is cold calling your federal building?
Scenario #1:
Imagine yourself at the same job in a federal building, day after day, for 25 years...looking at the same faces and dealing with the same issues. You've finished your task at hand (a task you've done for at least five years in a row) and you decide to find a moment to take a walk down the hall.
Consider how you would handle seeing a stranger in the hallway -- well dressed, confident, yet confused.
In the back of your mind, you are a little concerned about your safety because you've never seen this person before. However, they seem to be lost and you naturally like to help people. (Besides, it's an excuse not to go back to your desk right away.)
Your job is to identify strangers and determine:
The person looks confused and says, "I'm not sure. I might have gotten off at the wrong floor."
"What are you looking for?" you say naturally.
"Well, I was meeting with Mr. Smith on the third floor about my company and I was looking for his counterpart at your agency."
You say, "What does Mr. Smith do?"
The person says, "Well, they are the IT manager and I thought maybe, while I was here, that I would see the IT manager from your agency."
You decide this person is probably a sales representative, but seems professional and nice enough and you escort them to your IT Manager's office - Ms. Jones. Since you are lunch friends with Ms. Jones, you thought she could use a change of pace today -- and besides, this person seems very sincere and interesting.
The visitor is eternally grateful and lets you know that you are the first person who has ever truly helped them in a federal office.
After walking the visitor to Ms. Jones, you return to your responsibilities back at your office feeling good about helping someone today.
Scenario #2
Consider that you've been working for the federal government a few years and a sales person barges into your office.
"Hello, my name is Ms. Harris and I'm looking for the Director of your IT department."
You say, "I'm sorry, do you have an appointment for our Director or do you have a name?"
"No, but I was visiting with the IT director in the other agency down the hall and I want to talk to your IT director while I'm here."
You'll respond naturally, "I'm sorry, I'll have to take your business card and have them call you. Since you don't have an appointment, I can't let you back in their office."
The visitor gives you their card and you pass it along to the IT director saying, "This lady stopped in to see you, but didn't know your name. She asked me to give you her card."
As a sales executive in the commercial market place, we're used to making appointments, but sometimes we uncover an opportunity to walk the halls of a building. In commercial, it is commonplace to stop into the offices and introduce yourself and drop off your business card for a future appointment while uncovering a name and a number.
In the government, you have an excellent chance of walk-in appointments, but you must handle your approach with a very delicate angle. Ask for "Help" and let them lead you by the nose to your end user. If you ask for assistance and an introduction, they'll help you. If you demand it, you can forget it.
Walking the halls is an excellent opportunity to meet people and get to know the "feel" of the building and of the client. A lot of people think they will get thrown out of a building if they walk the halls, but that simply is not true. You need to get a feel for the security in the building. If they require someone to walk down and escort you to your appointment, certainly you cannot cold call. But, you can ask your escort to introduce you to other end users while you are there. If they are open to it and have time, sometimes, THEY suggest that they walk you over for an introduction.
Government employees love change in their daily routine and they like meeting new people if they are interesting and personable ...but not too pushy. If they like you, they'll walk you into opportunity after opportunity after opportunity. Don't be afraid to ask them to help you. That's what they expect.
A lot of people say, "Well, that's easy for YOU to say, Eileen -- you're a woman." Well, you have a choice. Either hire a woman or put your hat in hand and look a little humble for once. Look, there is nothing more charming to a woman than a man who is LOST. Since we are naturally nurturing, we'll be happy to help you. The government is full of women, so gentleman -- sale executives -- get LOST. It works!!
by Eileen Kent
Consider for a moment that you are an employee for the federal government. What would it be like to encounter someone who is cold calling your federal building?
Scenario #1:
Imagine yourself at the same job in a federal building, day after day, for 25 years...looking at the same faces and dealing with the same issues. You've finished your task at hand (a task you've done for at least five years in a row) and you decide to find a moment to take a walk down the hall.
Consider how you would handle seeing a stranger in the hallway -- well dressed, confident, yet confused.
In the back of your mind, you are a little concerned about your safety because you've never seen this person before. However, they seem to be lost and you naturally like to help people. (Besides, it's an excuse not to go back to your desk right away.)
Your job is to identify strangers and determine:
- #1. If they truly need help
#2. If they need to be thrown out
The person looks confused and says, "I'm not sure. I might have gotten off at the wrong floor."
"What are you looking for?" you say naturally.
"Well, I was meeting with Mr. Smith on the third floor about my company and I was looking for his counterpart at your agency."
You say, "What does Mr. Smith do?"
The person says, "Well, they are the IT manager and I thought maybe, while I was here, that I would see the IT manager from your agency."
You decide this person is probably a sales representative, but seems professional and nice enough and you escort them to your IT Manager's office - Ms. Jones. Since you are lunch friends with Ms. Jones, you thought she could use a change of pace today -- and besides, this person seems very sincere and interesting.
The visitor is eternally grateful and lets you know that you are the first person who has ever truly helped them in a federal office.
After walking the visitor to Ms. Jones, you return to your responsibilities back at your office feeling good about helping someone today.
Scenario #2
Consider that you've been working for the federal government a few years and a sales person barges into your office.
"Hello, my name is Ms. Harris and I'm looking for the Director of your IT department."
You say, "I'm sorry, do you have an appointment for our Director or do you have a name?"
"No, but I was visiting with the IT director in the other agency down the hall and I want to talk to your IT director while I'm here."
You'll respond naturally, "I'm sorry, I'll have to take your business card and have them call you. Since you don't have an appointment, I can't let you back in their office."
The visitor gives you their card and you pass it along to the IT director saying, "This lady stopped in to see you, but didn't know your name. She asked me to give you her card."
As a sales executive in the commercial market place, we're used to making appointments, but sometimes we uncover an opportunity to walk the halls of a building. In commercial, it is commonplace to stop into the offices and introduce yourself and drop off your business card for a future appointment while uncovering a name and a number.
In the government, you have an excellent chance of walk-in appointments, but you must handle your approach with a very delicate angle. Ask for "Help" and let them lead you by the nose to your end user. If you ask for assistance and an introduction, they'll help you. If you demand it, you can forget it.
Walking the halls is an excellent opportunity to meet people and get to know the "feel" of the building and of the client. A lot of people think they will get thrown out of a building if they walk the halls, but that simply is not true. You need to get a feel for the security in the building. If they require someone to walk down and escort you to your appointment, certainly you cannot cold call. But, you can ask your escort to introduce you to other end users while you are there. If they are open to it and have time, sometimes, THEY suggest that they walk you over for an introduction.
Government employees love change in their daily routine and they like meeting new people if they are interesting and personable ...but not too pushy. If they like you, they'll walk you into opportunity after opportunity after opportunity. Don't be afraid to ask them to help you. That's what they expect.
A lot of people say, "Well, that's easy for YOU to say, Eileen -- you're a woman." Well, you have a choice. Either hire a woman or put your hat in hand and look a little humble for once. Look, there is nothing more charming to a woman than a man who is LOST. Since we are naturally nurturing, we'll be happy to help you. The government is full of women, so gentleman -- sale executives -- get LOST. It works!!
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