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Don’t Get Spooked by Salespeople!

There are two sides to every sale: the buyer and the seller. Each party usually has the support of teams that help to solidify the requirements of the sale. hardware and software acquisitions are the result of long relationships with specific salespeople or the companies they represent—but that closeness can bring bias to the sales cycle. Pat McGrew explains how not to get spooked by the friendship.

Tuesday, November 09, 2021

There are two sides to every sale: the buyer and the seller. Each party usually has the support of teams that help to solidify the requirements of the sale. On the buyer side, the team is assembling needs, reviewing current state, and drawing a box around the budget. On the sales side, the team is trying to assemble the perfect offer to meet the brief set by the buyer and meet established sales goals.

Often, hardware and software acquisitions are the result of long relationships with specific salespeople or the companies they represent. Deep relationships are great in our industry because the sales process seems easier when you are working with someone you know. There’s no need to explain corporate cultures or the big picture because it’s part of a shared history. That closeness can bring bias to the sales cycle, however. Don’t get spooked by the friendship!

Start every acquisition cycle be making your shopping list. Even if you are approached with an amazing offer, take a step back and ask some questions.


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About Pat McGrew

Pat is a well-known evangelist for inkjet productivity. At McGrew Group, she uses her decades technical and marketing experience to lead the industry toward optimized business processes and production workflows. She has helped companies to define their five-year plans, audited workflow processes, and developed sales team interventions and education programs. Pat is the Co-Author of 8 industry books, editor of A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge, and a regular contributor to Inkjet Insight and WhatTheyThink.com.

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