In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

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  1

  ptiseo

  01/08/09 | Report as spam

  RE: In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

  "The purpose of that solution is so that the buyer can 'outsource' that corporate function to your firm, with YOU as the manager responsible for making certain that that function takes place on time and on budget."
  
  This is the key statement. In a B2B service company, Mr. or Ms. YOU is selling the company's ability to manage that function better than the prospect. And, in many cases (bad cases?), Mr./Mrs. YOU becomes some sort of pseudo-manager of that function.
  
  And, so, it makes me think: is the common problem that Mr. YOU doesn't present himself as a competent pseudo-manager, or that that whole presentation premise is faulty? IOW, are you supposed to sell the manager or the function?
  
  And, as the buyer: are you buying the manager, or the function? To me, from the buyer's perspective, I don't care about the sales agent because he/she could easily be gone tomorrow, but the contract I signed lives on.
  
  I didn't buy a pseudo-manager, I bought a business unit, or a department.
  
  I will admit that I may differ from the norm. The norm may be that your buyer world is full of idiots looking to have rep-slash-buddy and damn the business.
  
  This doesn't minimize one aspect of the article, which is that how the sales rep presents him/herself is critical, but it's a big leap from that to the rep *is* the brand.

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  2

  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine

  01/08/09 | Report as spam

  RE: In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

  Quote from alphadogg: And, as the buyer: are you buying the manager, or the function? To me, from the buyer's perspective, I don't care about the sales agent because he/she could easily be gone tomorrow, but the contract I signed lives on.
  
  The only reason that you believe that the function will take place is that you believe what the sales rep is saying. It's not about being a "buddy," it's about whether you believe in the rep's ability to make the function happen on time and on budget, no matter what, even if the rep's firm has other priorities. That's why B2B companies that invest in their reps do so much better than companies that see the sales function as plug and play. In other words, a company that doesn't believe in long term relationships (i.e. keeps sales reps close to good customers) is creating a lousy brand. You won't trust the rep, because you'll know he'll be gone. But if you know that the rep is going to be your "man" in the outsourced firm for the foreseeable future, then the firm has a strong brand, and you're more likely to buy.

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  3

  eduardocardenas

  01/10/09 | Report as spam

  RE: In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

  As a sales person and a sales manager, I relate to this. I believe customers want to know that they are making the right decission, and part of that right decission is how trustworthy does the sales person seem to be. Will he really deliver the product/service with no hidden costs? Will the sales person really help me when there is a problem with the product?
  
  When there is a problem, the custoemr most of the times calls the sales person instead of customer support. That must be because they really feel that this person understands their business and knows what agreements they had.
  
  There is definitively a big influence from the sales person. He or her must of had made a good job branding himself as someone that has a solution for the customers business and is trust-worthy.

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  somil garg

  01/11/09 | Report as spam

  RE: In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

  In B2B the first sight of firm is the Sales Rep. Add on to this , his committments(on behalf of firm) which may increase relability and risk taking ability into new era also.
  Low level of sensitivity in the first interface yield to weak realtionship. weak link can easily be broken by the competititor and you will loose the battle.
  Crux is its worthy to invest in the front force.

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  tdhawkins

  01/12/09 | Report as spam

  RE: In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

  "Brand" is marketing speak for "reputation". The latter built through end-user/consumer realizing good value for the money. Brands are built or desroyed based on the perpetual cycle of the purchaser making an opportunity cost decision. That's why brands like Dell, Home Depot, IBM, etc. can thrive and then suffer as buyers of any ilk decide for themselves, "Is this worth the money?"

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  6

  Sage19

  01/13/09 | Report as spam

  RE: In B2B Sales, YOU are the Brand!

  While I agree that the sales rep is an extension of the corporate brand - the rep can only do so much with a product/service that the company does not support.
  
  Brands are also about promises and how companies deliver on them, whether implied or directly stated.
  
  B2B is very much about connections and loyalty -but also quality - and the company better deliver on its promises about the quality of its products/services as well as the quality of experience - through ALL channels, whether it is customer service or sales - but yes very often sales... to build the brand...