In the last post we discussed how to introduce the big-company mindset into your business and get your team onboard. Doing this will help you overcome the mental obstacles that might keep you from being successful. The next step we’ll discuss is which big fish to focus on. Before you put a plan together, it’s important that you understand how your potential big client operates. We’re also going to take a moment to talk about the potential “red tape” you may encounter along the way.
The most important information to collect about your big fish are their purchasing habits and procedures. There are four main elements to focus on in order to be successful:
- Responsibilities: You need to know who has influence over purchasing, who does the actual buying and who could kill a deal if they wanted to.
- Get on Their List: You need to know how to get on their list of preferred vendors. Your name needs to not only be on the list, it needs to be at the top of the list and in as many categories as possible for more interaction. Ask about a procurement program and what you need to do to go through the application process.
- Lingo: You need to learn the company’s unique language and communications methods. These could include report names, buzzwords and even the nicknames they have for their employees.
- Fiscal Budgets: It’s essential you know the fish’s fiscal calendar, so you know exactly when they are planning their budgets for the next year.
Now that we’ve talked about what you need to know about your fish, let’s take a quick look at the potential hurdles. Bureaucracy might as well be a “four-letter” word with the emotions it stirs in all of us. “Red tape” is a necessary evil, but you can learn how to work around it.
Here are two ways to do this:
- Analyze their activity.
- Review their correspondence.
Being an outsider looking in can have its advantages too. If you hate dealing with the “red tape”, imagine how their employees feel dealing with it. If they need to crunch some numbers, offer to do it. If they need more information, make sure you are giving it to them in a user-friendly way.
The topics we discussed in this Blog will help you prepare for the big approach. If you need help with any of this, try our FREE test drive to find the right tools to get the job done. We are there to help and support you! And remember , we work on the basis of ” No-result-No-fee”.
And when you want to read a great book about this subject : ” Bag The Elephant” , written by Steve Kaplan
