Q2 2009 / Work harder or work smarter?

These are extremely trying times for sales people in the present economy. Gloom and doom is everywhere. Customers are hanging on to their purse strings ever tighter and layoffs are increasingly rampant. Our own management watches our sales dollars more closely than ever. We know we can’t do the same things today we did this time last year. We need to step up the pace, increase our activities, and bring in new business. Maybe this sounds a little like a retread of an upper management slogan, but I want to share something with you that may change every aspect of how you operate your own business this year.

Given today’s marketplace there is no better time to take a look at how we, as sales people, are conducting ourselves. Are we giving our employers and ourselves the best bang for our compensation? We are responsible to our families, our employers, our fellow employees and ourselves as we plan our days in the field. Are we using every tool at our disposal?

We cannot depend on management to hand us all of the tools needed to get the job done. We should consider it our individual responsibility to think outside the box and develop new tools ourselves.

Focused networking really works

In my sales world I find that the more people I have looking out for my best interests on the street the better. Now is the time to create your own surge of supporters by carrying networking to the extreme.

One idea that works really well is to network with people who serve the same customers you do. For example, I know many service providers  that service a number of our own life science customers. When you visit one of your own customer’s sites, begin to take notice of all of the various services required to keep that operation running. Here are some examples:

• Hazardous Waste                            
• Environmental Health & Safety       
• Clean Room Garments                     
• Signage                                            
• Process Piping Contractor                
• Building Safety                                  
• Pure Water Systems                          
• Alarm Systems (of all sorts)               
• Riggers                                              
• Movers                                              
• Construction Contractors                   
• Gas Suppliers                                    
• Printed Products                                
• Clean Air Systems                              
• Executive Recruiters                          
• Electricians                                        
• Venture Capital
• Facilities Management Contractors
• Strategic Shippers                            
• Website Designers
• Compliance Consultants
• HVAC Contractors
• Financial Management
• Particle Measurement
• Calibration Services
• Lab & Office Furniture
• Validation Services

The list is endless, but I now have over 30 companies I can network with that are directly in service of life science.

Networking is hardly new, but to make it effective and to maximize the time you invest, it must be highly focused.

What doesn’t work

What doesn’t work is spending time networking with folks selling cookies on the Internet or selling campaign pins and T-shirts. Focused networking is the key to successful networking. Only people in the service of the needs essential to the target customer’s business should  occupy the time and energy you invest in creating your networking group.

If you discover that there is no focused networking group you can join – start one. Chair the group yourself and bring these key players together. You will be surprised at how eager they will be to sit at a table of like minded people to share information about current and potential customers.

Create a networking strategy

I heard one comment lately that confused me. A salesperson remarked: “networking is cheating, you should be able to get the business you want without having to bother other people to help you.” I am not sure how widespread that opinion might be, however ‘virtuous’ it might sound, it is actually really shortsighted. I mention it because I think that when the topic of networking comes up you will quickly discover that some folks get it, and some just don’t. To those who remain skeptical, I simply respond by pointing to results. I can always justify my own approach to networking by citing the success of my personal experiences over the last two weeks.

For example, in the last 15 days I secured five new Microbulk accounts and 12 new gas accounts – none of which I personally called on.  All those new customers called me!

I attribute that business to two key factors – having more feet on the street than my competition, and a reputation for an elevated level of service that my networking partners fully believe in. I have literally 100 people in the field on any given day visiting any number of life science companies. Whenever these folks see gases out there, they think of me. They either call me directly with the sales lead or they make a warm introduction to the key players just for me. Of course, I do the same for each of my network partners when I am with a client.

When you first meet with a networking partner it does take some time to work the discussion around to the point where you can politely ask them how they are doing with their current contracts. However, once they realize you are asking for their own benefit as well as your own, they come to see it as a service. You become increasingly valuable to your network base as you develop a proven track record with others in the group who are also servicing the same clientele. Eventually, without even thinking about it you will be looking out for each other in the field. What better way to be in sales than to have potential customers call on you.

Sidestepping the gate keeper

In sales we are all burdened with the challenge of getting past the fanged, three-headed beast we all call “the gate keeper.” It’s the person that will not allow you to reach the key contact somewhere inside without giving up your first born. Well, perhaps now you can you see how easy this task becomes if the key person inside already knows about your service because you were pre-qualified by a networking partner?

Now when you show up at the door of a prospect with an appointment with their lab manager you are greeted, not by a three-headed monster but by someone offering you a cup of coffee while you wait. A gatekeeper after all is really simply doing the job he or she was instructed to do. However, having the savvy to sidestep their mandate saves time, energy and frustration.

Keep moving forward

In sales we need to continue to move forward to continue to grow. If you are only maintaining your numbers you are actually sliding backwards because costs continue to climb. Even if your sales dollars might be the same, your margin is slipping. Furthermore, today’s economy has greatly sharpened that requirement.

Therefore, new business is the key. So pile it on as fast as you can by expanding your service to your entire customer base. When that base sees you as a key player within their industry, you automatically become more valuable to them. They then want to do business with you and they will want to share your value with others in the industry.

So before you leave a customer during your next sales call ask them if there is anything else you can do for them outside of the products that you normally provide. Have an answer ready before they ask the questions you know are on their minds. I usually inform my customers that I am heavily networked with many people, all in the service of life science, so if one of their current service providers is not quite up to speed, I can help with a recommendation.

Providing this information makes you more valuable to the customer and helps them understand that you are looking out for their entire business, not just selling a product. Partnering with your customer in every way you can builds a relationship that is hard to break.

I’ll see you in the field with my networking partners, selling the service.

Specialty Gas Manager for Middlesex Gases & Technologies, Everett, Massachusetts, USA.He can be reached at: Tel: +1 617-733-5946 or email: Mlee@middlesexgases.com