The two sides of a transaction

Start with the why, got me paying attention to the wisdom Simon Sinek shares. For me it sounded like my inner voice, I knows what the problem is and how to address it, but I just don't. When said out loud by people like Simon it seems to make it more concrete and provides motivation to act. 

Why do you shy away from that RFP or not cold call that customer that everyone is calling on? Fear of loss plays a part for all of us for sure!

But it’s the conscious decision to build a relationship with someone that gives me pause. They don't buy from our companies, and we don't help their companies. They buy from us, and we help them, it's a personal exchange of value and energy. It is the subconscious rationale that this deal or customer is or isn’t right for me.

I used to look at a customer as something to acquire, and I was privileged to be given the responsibility to help them on a particular buying journey. But I saw this as one sided, this is the nature of the buying processes I suppose, they are clinical, and metric driven. But there are human beings on the other end of that buying cycle. You engage with them, before, during and after and deal is done. They too, have a responsibility to you and the value you created through the investment in time and effort. You have what they need, otherwise you wouldn't be in engaging with them. They just don't know it, maybe you haven't been clear enough, or the company gatekeeper has kept your message from landing on the right set of ears. 

“The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.” Simon Sinek

This concept really got me thinking about who I engage with and I started reflecting on my beliefs about business partnership and started to consider if my customers or prospects believed the same things.

I believe in creating value by engaging with collaborators inside and outside my organisation to solve business problem with technology. I believe that business engagements should be mutually beneficial for all parties and I believe learning is like breathing, don’t stop.

I have just over two decades of experience serving the needs of South African enterprises , on behalf of global vendors, local distributors, and systems integrators. I believe in leveraging some of the best technologies available to provide business advantage to my customers, in their pursuit of market leadership. My goal is to truly understand how my customer creates value for their employees, customers, and shareholders and to build meaningful relationships with those that can drive positive change. This takes time and trust, both of which require investment from both parties.

If you believe what I believe, maybe we should be collaborating. My door is open, feel free to walk through.

To the sellers out their reading this, most of you in my network, I know personally and you do add immense value to your customers lives. It’s not always reciprocated by buyers but on their behalf, thank you for being on top of your game. You help keep me on top of mine,