Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/540646
July/August 2015 11 to their training, expertise and support, and also let them know that if there was a problem, we could pick up the phone and have the ear of senior management. To the customer, that's huge and elimi- nates any doubt about our ability to take care of them." Payoff for the supplier: The dealer's commitment to the brand. "I'm not just promising the customer I'm going to do something," says Pierce. "I'm making that commitment in front of the manu- facturer and the manufacturer is making that commitment in front of me. When you get everyone in the same room, and you're looking eye to eye, there's a level of accountability that doesn't exist when you're communicating via emails or over the phone. The joint sales call helps get past a lot of the issues that have stopped many in the industry from collaborating." So does success. Something that's within reach for everyone in the channel as long as both parties are committed to the process, according to longtime sales coach and management consultant Jim Pancero. When it doesn't work, he says, it's because of a lack of respect, a lack of preparation and a lack of attention and time invested in a solid coordinated effort. "It's like trying to run a three-legged race at your company picnic but with no practice and no rehearsal. All you're going to do is fall over," says Pancero, adding that an effective joint sales call hinges on two things. First, the manu- facturer must acknowledge that it's the dealer's account and show respect for what the dealer has accomplished. "So they don't just come in, do their standard solution and ignore how the dealer has positioned the account," says Pancero. "I've seen manufacturers close a deal at the embarrassment of the DSR. The dealer got the sale but basically got stumped on in the process." Secondly, both parties have to put in the time to coordinate their efforts—at the beginning of the process. Typically, dealers bring in the manufacturer at the end, or spend little to no time prepar- ing for the sales call, hence the break- down in trust, according to Pancero. "If I only spend 10 minutes with you on the phone to discuss the account, I really don't know what you're going to say or do and I can't trust you not to take it in a different direction," he says. "So because of a lack of planning, there's a fear of what's going to happen next." On the other hand, outlining expecta- tions and expected outcomes, clearly defining roles and discussing specifics, like pricing, builds trust and discour- ages surprises. "Give the manufacturer as much information as you can so when they show up for the sales call, they are just as prepared as you are," says Pierce. "When I walked into the customer's with my supplier and rep, I was con- fident that they were not going to say anything that was not in line with my vision because there was communica- tion from the beginning. We had a clear understanding of where this relation- ship was going to go, how it was going to look and how things would act and feel, not only for the first order but the 10th order. "I was the lead on the sales side, cus- tomer service and accounting, they were the lead on the technical aspect and training. We always showed up at the account together and always walked out together. In the customer's eyes, we were playing the perfect concert…deliv- ering the entire package. "When you form a successful partner- ship, it makes you want to do it again and again. It also made me wonder why it took us so long to get here." More Feedback Please As dealers, we are always telling the manufacturer what we want but it would be nice to get more feedback from them, as far as what they want from us. What trends are they observing in the market? What products do they want us pushing? What people do they want us to call on? What is the manufacturer's strategy for the coming year? Manufacturers do a lot of great things but we seem to discuss the negatives all the time. We've got a lot of savvy business people that are doing really good things and supporting the dealer. Getting more of their perspective on these topics as well as future market conditions would really be helpful. -Panelist Drew O'Quinn of Thompson & Little 5 Great Reasons to Collaborate on a Sale 1. The customer benefits from the supplier's technical expertise and is often privy to new information. 2. It makes the customer feel important when a key supplier shows interest. 3. It offers a positive coaching opportunity. The supplier and dealer can discuss the technical aspects of the product as well as sales and marketing strategy. 4. By spending time with the customer, the manufacturer can hear firsthand how the customer really feels about the product in the competitive landscape, which can lead to external and internal improvement. 5. The manufacturer gets an opportunity to make the dealer look like a hero and promote the dealer's services and expertise to the customer. –Sales Coach Jim Pancero To contact Jim, call 800-526-0074. continued on page 12