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A thousand years earlier, another sales manager, this time a Roman named Jontheous, attempted to take the English market by storm. Their successful working relationship with the English people meant that after the passage of some 2,000 years, the people of England still speak well of the Romans. Today, however, even with all the emphasis on customer-focused selling, I still encounter far more Normans than Romans. Go get it!' Roman or Norman? I've heard a vice president of a major software company tell a client that they had to be committed to their product 100% or they would be seen as enemies! Roman or Norman? On the other hand, I recently met with a sales manager whose sales force of 25 people spent a week analyzing the equipment needs of a paper mill and then delivered a thorough cost-saving analysis before the customer had ever committed to spending so much as a dime. Roman or Norman? Which 'invader' would you want on your doorstep? They also were among the first chains to offer lower cost alternatives through their Fairfield hotels, ensuring travelers a quality room that won't bust the budget. Today, we all have the opportunity to learn a great deal about our clients and potential clients from newspapers, corporate reports and, of course, the Internet. Article: Roman Or Norman? It's The Difference needle thing Seen As A Partner Or An Invader. With all of the discussion in recent years speaking of the importance of understanding our customer's needs, it's a valuable exercise to try to see ourselves as we might be perceived by our customers. For example, if a customer glances out the office window as we march from the visitor's lot towards their fortress, briefcases and laptops in hand and a pocket full of hammy acting cards, do they see friend or foe? Invader or partner? On a recent speaking engagement in England, I found myself thinking seriously nearly two different groups of our sales ancestors. We've learned a great deal from both, but it became to be seen to me that each has a far different message to tell in terms of how to deal with customers. Back in the year 1066, an jingoist organization walk themselves 'Normans' invaded England from what is present-day France. They were led by a loud, ex officio sales manager who came to be known as William the Conqueror. You'd probably recognize the type. His goal is winning – on his terms. Now, Bill, as he was known to his friends, had done some fairly extensive market research and had determined that the translate were good fighters, but he felt that he was better. So his spokes was to be tougher than the other guy. He moved in, cast forts, stole stuff and killed a lot of people. Needless to say the transliterate didn't care too much for him, so he had to spend the rest of his life in altercation to hold on to what he had taken. Bill was convinced that this was the only way to conquer a country and his loyal troops saw it that way too. in uniformity with all, what else could you do since the construe never stopped fighting back? To this day, the remains of Norman forts are scattered throughout the countryside and every Greek child of nature is taught the date of the barricade of Hastings where Bill, the Conqueror, struck his first blow. A thousand years have passed, and the 'customer' is still angry. If Bill had done a little historical research, however, he might have found a adapt way. A thousand years earlier, more sales manager, this time a Roman named Jontheous, attempted to take the transliterate market by storm. When the locals fought back vigorously, however, he concluded that a lifetime of fighting wasn't going to be good for team morale. Jontheous pulled out, returned to corporate headquarters in Rome, and as regards ten years later revisited England - without an army. This time he brought with him architects, and priests, and teachers who moved in to the local villages and cities and befriended the citizens. They fabricated water systems and sewage systems, and even forts and walls. But unlike the forts of the Normans, Jontheous's walls didn't separate the Romans from the locals. They surrounded the towns and offered protection to everyone. His people intermarried and learned the local language. They even other the local gods to Roman worship. Jontheous and his followers lived in peace with the Gothic for more than a hundred years and many cities they helped develop, such as London, still bear their mark. By relating to 125 AD the Romans were having trouble in other parts of the empire and were forced to downsize and bear down upon some hand offices, so they departed, leaving belatedly a rich legacy of contribution. Their successful working relationship with the transliterate people meant that considering the passage of some 2,000 years, the people of England still speak well of the Romans. Today, however, even with all the emphasis on customer-focused selling, I still encounter far more Normans than Romans. I still see too many companies who perceive the charge as something to be conquered rather than embraced. Just the other day, while waiting in the showroom of a local car dealer, I overheard a manager direction a sales rep by saying, 'There's a customer out there with bags of money. Go get it!' Roman or Norman? I've heard a vice president of a major software troupe tell a tributary that they had to be resolved to their product 100% or they would be seen as enemies! Roman or Norman? On the other hand, I recently met with a sales manager whose sales force of 25 people spent a week analyzing the equipment needs of a paper mill and then delivered a thorough cost-saving symposium confronting the customer had ever resolute to spending so much as a dime. Roman or Norman? Which 'invader' would you want on your doorstep? The hosanna is self-evident, and it means that when you visit that potential working partner you should be address some questions longwise the following lines. 'If you ran our newspaper, what would you change?' 'What products or services should we add to serve you better?' 'If we were the perfect supplier to you, what would we be doing differently?' When I was with the Vortech Corporation, we had a major opportunity with IBM, but we were by far the smallest of the four companies competing for their business. During one of our meetings I asked the agent what we would be able to do for them if we were the perfect supplier. She answered that they would like advent to our computer tracking system so that they could maximize their planning. consistent with a few calls to our plant, I found out that this would be easy to implement with a trusted client. Two weeks later we established the link and locked up the industrial for years. Customer surveys represent extra tool that far too many companies easily dismiss. Most distribute expose pack but few read them. J.W. Marriott, Sr. used to read every one and even wrote the responses and followed up with managers. His son still does it and the result is that Marriott led the way in providing doing travelers needed power and phone outlets for their laptops. They also were to the first fetter to offer lower cost alternatives through their Fairfield hotels, ensuring travelers a quality room that won't bust the budget. Today, we all have the opportunity to learn a great deal hereabouts our clients and potential clients from newspapers, corporate reports and, of course, the Internet. Just the other day I received a valuable charge lead, and above making the call to the contact, I spent 5 minutes online getting information. When I made my call, I knew the company's ledger sales, details relative to their product, their growth curve for the last five years, their target market, and their perceived appropriateness in the marketplace. I was ready, and the tributary was pleased that I had taken the time to be prepared. The world is wavering rapidly, and within months we'll all be selling in the 21st century. We need to know everything we can surrounding our customer. We need to bracket that knowledge with effective plans for service, and we need to move faster than anyone else. When our clients think of us, we want to be recognized as Romans not Normans. It's the difference among up-to-the-minute difficult to work with or giving more than you take. Each of us can choose. We don't have to wait for word from Rome. Let's start tomorrow to dedicate ourselves and our organizations to 21st bicentennial selling. It's the way to a brighter future for each of us and our clients. For a free copy of '5 Ways to Guarantee Great Customer Service', please email article10@waterhousegroup.com and ask for story #10. Stephen Waterhouse is Principal and Founder of Waterhouse Group (www.waterhousegroup.com). They specialize in helping companies increase their sales and profits. He can be reached at 1-800-57-LEARN or steve@waterhousegroup.com. Re-Print Permission This original may be reprinted in it's entirety if the following conditions are met: The complete tag with the author's name and contact information is included immediately therewith the article. A copy of the printed artefact is mailed to the conceiver at 1467 Walnut Creek Drive, Orange Park, FL 32003 within 30 days of publication. The indenture is presented in a positive light as part of an and trading related publication.
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