Prospecting buyers

It is best to be clear in your own mind from the start and know whether the account's procurements people can really be professional and«normal» partners. After your first meeting, you still have time to change your mind about working with the prospect. Obviously, in some businesses client targets are very narrow and it is difficult toignore a buyer. However in most cases, KAMs are largely at liberty to «look elsewhere».

At a conference in Paris attended by more than 100 salespeople from various backgrounds, we asked them the following question: Howmany potential prospects do you have? Over one thousand? A good half of the audience raised their hand. Between 100 and 1,000? Agood third of the audience said they did. The rest had from 50 to 100 targets and a tiny handful had fewer than 10 potential target prospects.So in most cases, it is entirely possible to choose those with whom you wish to work. That said, in your first prospecting meetings with thebuyer, a little bit of empathy is often helpful - as with all sales.

As mentioned, whatever he may seem, a buyer is «scared stiff» of making a poor purchase and is not about to take risks - even though he may swear that what he is just looking for the right price. So favour anyargument that reassures him. However, the buyer is also getting paid to take his organisation ahead and bring in new ideas. He will not necessarilybuy these new ideas but he needs to hear about them. A «good» supplier, in «politically correct» buyer jargon, must include innovation.

Moreover, rather than in supply costs or contracts, professional buyers think in terms of the TCO («Total Cost of Ownership» as theyput it). In addition to the apparent costs (price, delivery, installation, testing, inspection, etc.) there are other less visible but equally asimportant costs that need to be factored into purchasing (storage, after-sales service, training, safety, documents, lead times, etc.).Therefore, helping the buyer reduce, better control, and/or optimise such hidden costs is one of the main ways of giving the KAM addedvalue. And, to gain credibility, it is during prospecting meetings that these points must be covered with the buyer. This is because during the final negotiation, as we will see in the following chapter, the modus operandi of the buyer is not to focus on the TCO but on the supplier's price. Very seldom do you see sales forces have a real, wellargued dialogue backed by figures with buyers during initial meetings.