Taking the lead
So you’ve become an accredited partner! Congratulations! I bet you’re glad that the qualifying bit is over and now you’re thinking what next?
Some of us have been partners for a long time and for you the key to an effective relationship with any vendor (not just Microsoft) is to remember that most don’t hold the same goals and mindset as you and your business do. Apologies if I’m telling you something that you already know but frequently I find that small businesses join a partner programme expecting their profits to go up and their understanding of our complex market to improve just because they’ve met the criteria set by others.
If a vendor offers you, as part of their programme, the opportunity to get leads then take it as exactly that; just an opportunity. When Joe Public contacts a vendor on the number advertised in the magazine he’s just read, chances are he thinks he knows what he wants. I bet though, if you were sitting next to him reading over his shoulder you’ll be advising him on exactly what he needs and chances are it’s not what he’s seen advertised.
So our friend Joe rings the number in the advert. He speaks to Jane who is polite and pleased to help him with his enquiry. Joe says that he doesn’t know what he wants but he knows he wants to do business better just like it says in the advert. Jane is enthused (as she would be) and tells him that the answer is available in a box which when opened will have the answer to everything (no it is not the number 42!). Joe is so excited and he wants to know how he can get this. So Jane tells him that she knows just the partner because XYZ company are specially qualified by them to deal with just this type of solution!
Jane gives Joe the number and the name of a person at XYZ to call…
Joe gets a phone call, it’s one of his clients who wanted their job done yesterday. Yes, you’ve guessed it guys, Joe has to put his priority to one side and deals with his client. Now this problem takes a little while (sound familiar?) and before he knows it a few days have gone by and other things have occurred so he’s forgotten about his call to Jane and that he should really be taking time to call XYZ company.
Eventually he does and he gets through to Bob. Now Bob is a good guy (you’d like him) and like Jane said he is qualified up to the hilt. But Joe has kind of lost the buzz he had before but he knows that he still wants to do business better.
So Bob asks Joe what problems he is having at work that has caused him to question is existing business model. Bob remembers not to talk about boxes because he knows that doesn’t work with people like Joe. Joe says he can’t access certain files and he wants remote access plus the latest version of ‘Lights and Whistles v4.0′ because his mate has it and he just has to have it too. So Bob sits and thinks and recommends Joe something completely different to what Jane advised. Joe becomes confused, how could Jane do this to him? She said that the box would be answer so why is Bob who is one of their qualified partners recommending something different?
Bob recognises that Joe is confused because he tells him ‘I’m confused!’ (tricky stuff this customer rapport bit!) and so Bob books an appointment to visit Joe and show him exactly what he is talking about. Joe agrees and Bob drops in the next day.
Joe is busy the next day but stops to talk to Bob. Joe is surprised that Bob gets exactly what he is talking about. Bob is sitting in the middle of the business and can see just by looking around him what the problems are and makes a recommendation that will save Joe so much time, money, effort, and pain - perfect! Or so dear reader that is what we all think…
That night, when the little Joes are tucked up in bed and Mrs. Blogs is doing that thing she always does once a week, Joe compares the prices Bob quoted him on the Internet. Joe is shocked to see that he can get the same box (he’s forgotten the solution Bob offered) online and he can save himself a massive £30! Joe doesn’t trust this tricksy Bob bloke who has just spent the best part of the day talking and understanding his business and would rather spend his money online without checking out their credentials. Joe puts the order in with Ucantcallme.com; he doesn’t even care whether these guys are partners or not - he’s made a saving and that £30 is going on a new MP3 player! Joe goes to bed chuffed at the thought of the bargain he has just scooped himself.
In the morning Bob gets a call from Jane who rings to see how the deal on the box went. Bob says that Joe wasn’t looking for the box Jane recommended even though it was in the original advert that she had to sell. Bob calls Joe who tells him that he bought elsewhere.
Bob is sad.
Bob became a partner because he found it hard to market himself and Jane’s company promised that as part of the partner programme he would have the opportunity to get new business from them.
Jane’s company is happy.
Jane’s company had a chat to their account manager at ucantcallme.com who said that they had sold one of the boxes seen in the advert to Joe.
Joe is sad.
Joe wanted support from ucantcallme.com…
… enough said.
But wait! Joe sheepishly calls Bob and asks for help. Bob is secretly smug and basks in the feeling for a while as he listens to Joe who is sad. As he’s talking on the phone to Joe, Bob realises that Joe had actually bought the same box Jane recommended. Silly Joe! Bob waves his magic wand (for a monthly charge) and Joe is happy again. Joe realises that Bob was right all along and tells his mates Max and Dave that Bob is great and they should go to him for their stuff too! And they do! Bob is smugger than a very smug thing!
Moral of this story.
The best form of marketing is through positive word of mouth recommendation. Do not rely on, nor expect, other people to get you new business unless you have paid them.
Leads are great but even when they reach you, chances are they haven’t been qualified and you’ll have to educate them about what they actually need and why.
But don’t forget the platform that vendor partners can give you. Sometimes even the bleakest opportunity can have a positive effect in the long run. Be true to yourself and you will never disappoint you or your quality customers.