Comments on: Great Clients http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=great-clients Building Sales Culture Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:39:16 -0500 hourly 1 By: Todd Cohen http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Todd Cohen Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:50:36 +0000 http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/#comment-79 I think this is not so much about "normal" and more about recognizing the fact that it happens. Hopefully, we can balance our sales careers by dealing with more who do not do this then with those who think its OK.. Good Selling! -TC I think this is not so much about “normal” and more about recognizing the fact that it happens. Hopefully, we can balance our sales careers by dealing with more who do not do this then with those who think its OK..

Good Selling!

-TC

]]> By: Jim Sexton http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Jim Sexton Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:30:56 +0000 http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/#comment-78 Todd, to piggy back on your last comment, there are also clients or prospects that I have encountered who will entertaint a sales campaign and then comment on it to your biggest competitor. While you may say that this is normal, I have had it happen where the prospect had already decided to go with my competitor prior to my presentation and used my presentation as a leverage device to gain a better deal. I have often viewed this as unethical, but it does happen alot. I do agree that gaining a client's trust is a prolonged exercise, but once it is established it will open doors to a great many opportuniies. Todd, to piggy back on your last comment, there are also clients or prospects that I have encountered who will entertaint a sales campaign and then comment on it to your biggest competitor. While you may say that this is normal, I have had it happen where the prospect had already decided to go with my competitor prior to my presentation and used my presentation as a leverage device to gain a better deal. I have often viewed this as unethical, but it does happen alot.
I do agree that gaining a client’s trust is a prolonged exercise, but once it is established it will open doors to a great many opportuniies.

]]> By: Ethan Weiss http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Ethan Weiss Fri, 07 Sep 2007 02:34:36 +0000 http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/#comment-77 Oliver, great insight on the business value. I think the home-run client is the one where you also complement the personal value. I have had to ask my best client's for favors before, to either accelerate their buying cycle or get creative with me, to achieve a personal need. The best clients are the ones who do that without hesitation, because they are as committed to your success as much as you are committed to the success of them and their organization. When they can't live without you and are devoted to your success as their account exec, to Oliver's point, you've then created a good (great?) client! Oliver, great insight on the business value. I think the home-run client is the one where you also complement the personal value.

I have had to ask my best client’s for favors before, to either accelerate their buying cycle or get creative with me, to achieve a personal need. The best clients are the ones who do that without hesitation, because they are as committed to your success as much as you are committed to the success of them and their organization. When they can’t live without you and are devoted to your success as their account exec, to Oliver’s point, you’ve then created a good (great?) client!

]]> By: Todd Cohen http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Todd Cohen Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:10:52 +0000 http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/#comment-76 Oliver- Great points! I am a passionate believer that we as sales professionals must own the responsibility to educate our clients and do it well. Clients must also want to be educated though-I have many who entertain a sales presentation or sales campaign because they are told to..and not because they want to. Then they are not open to being shown the value proposition. I will be exploring this topic more in an upcoming weekly column. Good Selling! -Todd Oliver-

Great points! I am a passionate believer that we as sales professionals must own the responsibility to educate our clients and do it well. Clients must also want to be educated though-I have many who entertain a sales presentation or sales campaign because they are told to..and not because they want to. Then they are not open to being shown the value proposition. I will be exploring this topic more in an upcoming weekly column.

Good Selling!

-Todd

]]> By: Oliver Picher http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Oliver Picher Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:10:12 +0000 http://www.toddcohen.com/blog/great-clients/#comment-75 Todd, I agree that openess and communication are important in any client/provider relationship. It seems to me that there is another underlying factor behind all these attributes -- the buyer understood the "business value" of what you could bring to his or her organization and was therefore willing to take a risk, to be a coach to you, to be a champion for you. None of that happens automatically. I hold that great clients come from great sales people -- sales people who listen to their clients, come to understand their needs, and work to "create" this value in the clients' minds. Clients aren't born understanding your business value, so they aren't born being good clients. You have to create them. Todd,
I agree that openess and communication are important in any client/provider relationship.

It seems to me that there is another underlying factor behind all these attributes — the buyer understood the “business value” of what you could bring to his or her organization and was therefore willing to take a risk, to be a coach to you, to be a champion for you.

None of that happens automatically. I hold that great clients come from great sales people — sales people who listen to their clients, come to understand their needs, and work to “create” this value in the clients’ minds. Clients aren’t born understanding your business value, so they aren’t born being good clients. You have to create them.

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