by Hank Trisler
"So what's the biggest mistake salespeople make with you, Chat?" I was talking to a tennis partner during a break in the hostilities this morning. Chat Forbes is the purchasing manager for a respected manufacturer in Silicon Valley.
I had expected him to say they talk too much, as that would have reinforced my long-held belief, but it didn't go that easily.
"They call on me too often," Chat said. "Some of them call me every week and they drive me nuts. I can't get anything done when I'm always talking to salespeople."
"How often should a salesperson call on you?" I asked.
"Well, there's a fine line they need to walk," Chat said. "They need to call often enough to find out when I need something, but not so often as to become a pest."
"How often is that?"
"There's the problem. I don't know. That's the fine line."
"How can they determine how often is too often without talking to you?"
"There's the problem," Chat said.
Now you may find this very unsatisfying. I certainly did, but there you have the problem in the real world with real buyers and sellers.
Here's the question I pose to you for your consideration and discussion: How often should a salesperson call on a customer and how is that frequency arrived at?
I'll be waiting for the fruits of your thinking.
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