Sales it's all about Sales.... so where is Swiss Tony when you really need him…….
I have been in or around Sales, Account Management and Commercial Business Development most of my career. From starting out as a Plumbing & Heating Engineer selling my own services and products in a somewhat 'adhoc' way, to moving on and through a variety of different SME and Blue Chip Organisations. Including a few interesting and more challenging ventures along the way.
One thing that has always been important though, and is always tabled in any organisation, whether doing great or in a commercial blizzard, is sales, with a sensible profit margin of course, then a plan for a naturally retained client/customer base whereby the relationships can be developed mutually and commercially enjoyed retrospectively for many years.
That is fairly simple logic, and somewhat common sense I guess, and is usually a normal part of any Business/Organisation/Sole Trader/Charity/LTD/ PLC/LLP/PTY/CIC/NFP etc.
There are also so many companies trying to sell something by phone, email, social media, TV, Radio, door knocking, high street canvassing, super market entrances, face to face appointments, on and on…
As a real example, only this week so far, and it’s only Tuesday before mid day here in a Snowy North Yorkshire…..
We have had, and I kid you not;
A door knock for Cavity Wall Insulation (of which we already have installed) A door knock for free solar pv and battery, of which we deliver ourselves, hmm.. A leaflet offering us a free widow clean to test their service, and convince us into using them and hence bin our usual window cleaning firm.. who is here right now cleaning the windows as it happens…. A leaflet offering free pet food deliveries if we sign up to buying their product for 3 months. A charity door knocker looking for sponsorship for 'a race' a couple of phone calls about GDPR, ‘two’ credit checking companies selling software systems, our mobile phone provider calling to tell us for the 95th time this month that we are eligible for an upgrade… a couple of random call centres offering a free oil boiler… we are on grid? An email invitation about being a very very very special guest to go view a new car at the local BMW dealership, an invite to ECO Build for about the 900th time, a leaflet about putting a tiled / solid roof on our conservatory.. and the obligatory pile of fast food takeaway leaflets through the door.. not to mention garden services and gutter cleaning.
This not so in depth, not so long term 24hr research tells me that sales & marketing are clearly at the front of the mind when doing or trying to do/grow business.
So, what I do not understand is when you pro-actively approach a company or companies, asking them for information in this instance in regard to vehicles, although it could apply to anything.
Why out of 5 inquiries which are all the same and polite, do you get only 1 reply from an email setting out what is hoped for, and a follow up phone call to chase them up to see if they had it in hand.
Now, this is as I understand is not them marketing to us, it’s us asking them to consider selling us something, so, not requiring GDPR (going forwards) or sign up /opt in, in fact not requiring any effort in pursuit, as we searched for their websites, found them, and contacted them with a clear and specific request loaded with buying signals.
These companies must have sales meetings where they challenge the teams for sales/numbers, particularly at month end regards vehicles.
So, when a punter lands on their plate you would have thought they would snap up the opportunity as easy meat as such… but alas seems not… and all 5 were huge brands, 4 of the 5 were laid back, non-plussed, no rush, chillaxed and almost seemingly zenned out.
No Swiss Toni in sight here I’m afraid….. that said, the one that did respond now has the ‘orders’ it’s really not that hard.
Or Is it?
