The Good The Bad and The Ugly of Selling - The New Relationship Manager
       By: Frank Mims
Posted: 2007-07-28 10:32:23
Account management, or as I like to call it, relationship management, is the art of selling to support the workings of the customer. With this understanding the account manager must systematically steer each customer to purchase the most profitable products and services. This is truly an art and not a science; thus, the act of account management requites an abstract approach to administration and counsel. Yes, counsel, a word many times absent from the account management job description. It's a job description that can also be called The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. In the movie of the same name, three charities represented the three personality types. Many times these types will reveal themselves in the account management relationship.The Ugly refers to the type of person you must interact with in the company in order to accomplish your mission. That person believes there was no reason to make a change to your products or services. Or believes your products or services do not meet the needs of a department or division. That person is the one in meetings who objects to everything you say and pushes back every proposal you create. That person can hold the title of manager or vice president or sometimes president. Any future business will haveto go past him or her. How does one win with the ugly?The Bad refers to that unknown enemy. The enemy that is unseen and unheard. The one that has two employers, the company that employs the person and the product/service that has his or her devotion. That person would win twice if he or she could get their solution in the door. It may be the product/service the person has used for years or it can be the newest thing in the market today. Whatever the driver, your goods are not good for that person. How does one win with the bad?The Good refers to your ally. That partner who has outlined the goals of your products or services and sees the value they provide to the department/company goals. The person you have befriended and can call on with new ideas and innovations; he or she is welcomed and given an open interview. How does one win with the good?Features
Let's start with the hardest one first, The Good. Yes, I know you think this is the easy one but it is not. Someone in this category is clearly open to your ideas, products, and creations. Here is the bad part; the person is also open to others' ideas, products, and creations. If the person is of any value to you, it is because they are a sponge of information sourcing. Information that can and will support the person's driven goal factors, whatever they are. You must feed the person great, timely, and, many times, cost-cutting ideas. If you don't, he or she will find them elsewhere. Ideas that will grow his or her business, division or department, thus growing the person's wallet. Now for The Bad. The bad is the easiest of the three.Answer these two questions: What is the product or service that intrigues The Bad? What is the newest item on the market today that all are talking about? Once you find the answers to these two questions, sell against the answers. Those products/services are your competition. The Bad is also the one that seeks education and enlightenment. The Bad is a good place for a beta test of a new feature, but it must live up to the hype. The hype is very important to The Bad. The Bad can become a great ally, but only through time and by comparing the differences between your offering and the answers to the two questions. The Ugly can be a different animal. The Ugly will never express his or her true feelings about the products/services. The Ugly will never have a solution to the problem. The Ugly just knows that your solution is not what the company should invest in at the time. The Ugly is always looking for the bigger, better deal/product/service. When talking with The Ugly, talk on two things in tandem, i.e., the present and the future. Simultaneously you must make a move in words from speaking on two levels. When you talk about the features of your products/services today and the benefits derived you must also, in the same breath, talk about the future feature applications of your products in his or her business for years to come. You must show a history of the evolution of your product/service. The Ugly is not big on references from others that have used the products/services in the same manner, but he or she does not want to be the first out of the box to have used it. The Ugly will test you time and time again before relenting.ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT OR RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Know your customers. There is no need to get hung.FRANK MIMS V is a former Private Country Club Clubhouse Manager. For the last 20+ years he has earned his living as a career sale professional with the Xerox Corp., Wiltel/Worldcom and the Canadian based Mitel Networks Inc. an international communication company. He has sold in both the domestic U.S. and international markets worldwide with his focus on large enterprise corporation account penetration.Today Mims is President of The Mims Morning Meeting a SALES SKILLS ENHANCEMENT COMPANY designing training technique for meetings to stimulate sales and productivity for sales and marketing organizations. He is also a guest lecture at colleges and universities. Mims is a master storyteller and the author of the soon to be publish book "THE BEST WAY TO GET ON YOU FEET IS TO GET OFF YOUR ASS AND SALE SOMETHING". You can view some of Mims midget sales skills enhancement stories booklets online at http://www.mimsmorningmeeting.com.
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