by Tim Roberts
Ok, gettin' frustrated here. Don't suppose you'd be kind enough to let me vent? Should you choose to take the read, I suspect it will resonate (for some, not all) and the hope is you become empowered.
Here at Trustpointe, we engage in as many pre-call and post-call debriefings as time will allow. Clearly our loyalty lies with the seller. In a corny, but real way we don our capes each morning and play the role of defender of salespeople. Frustrated or overwhelmed sales folks appreciate the insight we provide and experienced pros like to be challenged with original, trusted advice.
Buyers currently have enormous leverage. Actually, buyers have so much leverage they giggle with delight at how easy it has become to win concessions. You know as well as I that some buyers even relish the role of bully. They know if they talk tough and with trained conviction, you'll do as they request. It doesn't seem fair, then, that the seller gets little in return and sometimes doesn't even win the business.
Buyer bullies are not good corporate citizens. When decent, honorable salespeople do their very best to create win-win opportunities, I don't get the brutal, self-esteem robbing tactics of buyers. It seems as though larger companies, including some of Indy's best corporate citizens, while willing and happy to allow small business to bid on projects, have no problem in extruding any semblance of profit they can find. They force smaller companies to line-item bids under the guise of comparing apples-to-apples but the truth is they want your margin - all of it. The damned truth is smaller companies stay small when they become hostage to the heavy hand of bean-counting big boys.
We feel the seller's pain. We won't let our clients make excuses for poor selling beliefs, yet we certainly don't want them to have to live in a subservient role. We can tell you - based on a mountain of call debriefing reports - sales people are feeling drained and bullied.
The time is coming when companies will have but two choices: acquiesce to the bully buyer (and hold the business as well as the costly feather they seem to need so badly) or - walk - and then choose customers who will pay the price any business school would tell them they need to make to be successful.
Our clearest advice: Never be hostage to the bully buyer or the weak beliefs of your salespeople. Take responsibility for your sales tactics and insist on equal business stature with those you wish to partner with. Don't be confused by a savvy negotiator and a bully buyer.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we teach our clients to believe price is never the real issue. To learn more about school yard bullies, bidding nonsense and caped crusaders, contact Tim Roberts at 845-0041 or tim.roberts@sandler.com.
To the bat-cave Robin!
