Editor's Note: Paul Evans contributed insights to our recent Sales Rep 2.0 feature. This column expands on what we published then.
I travel quite a bit in my job, and I see things that are different from my South Texas upbringing, but I have always found that communication--especially on a face to face or at least on the phone--is the same around the country. Well, now I feel that I am getting old. It’s true not only physically, but also in the way that I have always gone to business in the construction industry. Here’s why.
I was at one of our locations and about to head out to call on a builder customer on the East Coast. Before I go with an OSR to make a call, I always like to do a prep beforehand to align ourselves with what we needed to accomplish. So, as we were headed to the jobsite, we discussed the call.
I asked him about the builder and how many homes that he built, the type of home builder he was, and what price range were the homes. Then I asked the OSR what I call my Paul Evans Customer Service questions. I want to know as much as I can about this person to serve him better. So, I asked the OSR about the builder’s family and his kids.
To my happy surprise, my salesman knew a ton about the builder and his life outside of the building industry. I was very pleased that this salesman was listening when I was talking in the training classes about finding as much as you can about your customer and build that relationship, build that rapport.
We showed up at the job and walked the house for interior doors. The salesman wrote up the order on his ToughBook and sent it in. Great. But then, before we got back in the truck, my sales rep said, “Hey, we need to go walk some exterior doors while we are in this community.”
“Great,” I said to the opportunity to get some more business. Then I added: “I didn’t see those other doors on your to-do list this morning.”
“No,” the OSR replied. “I just heard back from the builder on the takeoff we just did, and he told me about the next house of exteriors.”
I was shocked at the speed of the communication and the accuracy of the information. After we walked the first house, he sent the order to his inside salesman at the millwork shop and at the same time the system sent an e-mail to the builder. The builder OK’d the order and released another house to walk exterior doors. All this took just 20 minutes.
We went to the next house, did the same exercise, and sent in the order in. The builder confirmed that one and sent in a purchase order for both houses.
“OK, Paul,” I thought to myself. “This isn’t so different from the norm, even if it’s faster.”
But wait—it gets better.
We got back into the truck to make another call, and as we were driving I was talking about how well his system was working and it was great that he and the builder had such a great relationship on and off the job.
It was great, I said, that the salesman took the time to spend time with the builder outside of work to get to know him and how that always worked well for me over the years to understand a builder and to help them grow their business.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get an opportunity to meet the builder,” I said. How long had the builder been in business.
“I’m not sure about that,” the rep replied. “It had never come up on FaceBook.”
Facebook?
The OSR then told me that is how he knew so much about the builder. In fact, he had been working with this builder for over a year and had never had a face to face meeting with him. Even phone conversations with the builder were rare.
“So,” I asked, “if the builder drove up you wouldn’t even know it was him.”
“Sure, I know all about him,” the rep said. “I know what kind of truck he drives, what he looks like, even the type of boots he wears.”
I was shocked.. Doing business with someone and having never met him or even having a face-to-face meeting? All the rep knew came from a social media account.
I then asked if the builder, customer was OK with that?
“Not only is he OK with it, he prefers it,” the rep said. In fact, the reason that builder is doing business with us is because our company has such advanced systems we can communicate in this fashion.
I was blown away. I have always taught my sales folks to get to know their customers and understand what makes them tick. Study their likes and dislikes, I say. Meet them socially to get to know them better. And lastly make sure you understand how they like to communicate. But this was a whole different level.
Doing business through and around a social media account was new to me. Sure, I understand these Millennials like to work through e-mail and text. We have always worked hard to help with that technology but this was way out in left field for me.
So, I guess I need to change my approach.Today, not only do I ask a customer how they want to be communicated with, but in what format or form? Stay up with the technology and up with the best way to communicate. What times we live in!
