5
2010
Buy Like You’re Branding
We are all brand ambassadors. We are all salespeople.
I’ve always thought that the world would be a better place if everyone had the position of salesperson at some time in their life. To be on the other side of the table is to have an appreciation of what it’s like to walk in with hat in hand.
If you’ve ever sold something you know what it’s like to fly 500 miles and be told the person that confirmed the meeting isn’t available. To sit in a waiting room for 45 minutes. To prepare for three days, escorted to the cafeteria and present your brilliant ideas next to the condiments table. To write a proposal that was needed the next day and never receive a return call or any acknowledgment. To be minimized.
We are all busy. We are also representing companies that sell and buy things.
When we act rudely we are making enemies for life. Enemies that tell their friends that they’ve been treated badly. Enemies that raise concern of the quality of the company, the values of culture and how they treat their people and customers.
Interacting with another company presents an opportunity to represent the entity and the values of the organization. Yet, I am amazed that people in marketing, the same people who carry the flag of the company’s brand, can be rude. Rude as hell.
As Clevelanders are often reminded by a larger-than-life LeBron James: “We are all Witnesses.” If the old adage is true that one unhappy customer tells 10 people, imagine how many hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost by companies that mistreat salespeople.
Brands get their reputations from all kinds of places. Don’t forget that salespeople are customers too.
If you are interested in more of our thoughts on brand planning, contact us today and tell us about your challenges.
Flickr photo courtesy of Luiz Felipe Castro.
