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Knowing everything about your customer opens doors. Selling is about relationships. No one questions that fact, but does the rep salesperson really understand the process of knowing their customers in depth?

What should be involved with gaining complete knowledge of the customer?

Knowing the People

This is the first step. Who works for the customer and what do they do? Who are they as people — wife, kids, hobbies, activities, other in-depth knowledge about every person at the customer who can possibly influence or interact with the salesperson, the rep company and the manufacturer? Which dealer/distributors does each person at the customer deal with?

The Customer’s Calendar

The customer’s calendar can be of great importance. What do they have going on? How could the rep or one or more of the manufacturers participate in those activities? Is there an opportunity for the rep to do demonstrations, hold sales meetings, work with one or more of the customer’s personnel? Knowing what is planned at the customers is a good way for the rep to insert himself in the operations of the customer without being intrusive. In addition, this knowledge and its proper use will enhance the rep’s standing with the customer.

The Customer’s Leader

Customer’s leader(s) is a vital part of the equation. Who really runs the business? What stake does the leader have in the business? How long has the leader been the leader? What is the leader like? Are they open to new ideas? Are they well-educated and professional or did they inherit the position? How approachable is the leader? Are they blocked by a gatekeeper? Is the gatekeeper approachable? Is the gatekeeper a professional or someone that the leader “likes” who is not particularly skillful or experienced?

Do the leader and the leader’s key advisers have experience outside the current firm? How qualified are the key people to lead an enterprise?

Size Matters

Is the customer a very large firm with significant capital resources? Is the customer mid-size for the industry with limited resources? How much business is the customer doing with the rep’s individual lines? How does the total business done by the customer compare to other customers the rep services? What is the growth potential of the customer? Does the rep feel or know that with help from the rep and the rep’s manufacturers the customer can grow profitably?

Opportunities

What opportunities does the rep salesperson have for working with the customer’s person/people with one of their customers?

Recognizing that “buddy calls” are a vital part of helping the customer’s salespeople.

New Products

New products provide a great opportunity for a rep salesperson to work with a customer’s salesperson with their customers. How does the rep salesperson go about getting joint sales opportunities? What results are achieved?

Marketing

Marketing is a vital element for all members of the rep firm sales team. When thinking about customer opportunities, how does marketing fit in? Can the rep firm provide promotional support, a new product “deal” or some sales materials or a special product demonstration?

Trade Shows

Trade shows provide another opportunity for working with customers. The rep salesperson can schedule meetings with customers at one or more of the manufacturer’s booths. The rep can arrange introductions to key executives of the manufacturer. The rep also works with the customer and the manufacturer at the show to develop an ongoing plan for that manufacturer’s products. Arrange a factory visit with the customer and the manufacturer.

Reporting Back

Reporting back to the manufacturer is important to the rep-manufacturer relationship. The reporting on individual customers and field visits to customers of the rep firm is vital to the manufacturer’s relationship with the rep firm. It is also critical as a tool for developing the deep knowledge that it takes to be truly successful with the customer for the long haul.

The bottom line is that the rep salesperson has to understand all of the opportunities for building a relationship with the customer and his customers.

Good luck and good selling!

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].