THE FIRST POST

Do you have a sales manager who asks you how you spend your time.....you know, what percentage of your time do you spend with end users, consultants, distributors and, god-forbid, contractors?  Do you want to scream, tell them to take their best guess at the hundredth report they are rolling up to someone who won't read it and a few other choice words (suggestion, the economy sucks, hold off on the choice words for now) and slam down the phone?  

Ah, the economy.  It is really bad right?  Some of the major distributors and manufacturers are forecasting down this year.  Unfortunately, salespeople in many cases work largely or exclusively on commissions.  I don't know about you but my household isn't forecasting down.  The kids need clothes, the 529 looks like a change dish at 7-11 and retirement is looking great at about 80 when Category 71 cabling hits the street or maybe by then it will all be fiber like I heard nearly twenty years ago.

Our space is weird isn't it?  IT and Telecom people have to deal with cabling but when you ask, would rather have needles stuck in their eyelids.  Ultimately, most end users want a good cabling contractor or two who understands what they want and can get the product installed successfully.  The brand that is installed is a whole different story.  

If you are like me, you sell for a manufacturer, supplier, design firm, or contractor.  We all have an objective and I will guess that we want to build lasting profitable relationships, ideally as the exclusive provider or brand.  We prefer to have no competition but that is unlikely as users become more and more savvy.  So how do we become RELEVANT!  Beer, ballgames, cultural dancing establishments (I hear that some of our industry goes to these places) golf, fishing, hunting, shirts, pens, hats, notepads, memory sticks, koozies (who invented that word) and lastly, bribes (when the going gets tough, the cash starts flowin!).  

Some users are willing to pay for the very best.  The local structured cabling sales community will do our best to convince them that our copper and fiber cabling systems are better than the next one.  Suppliers and manufacturer sales teams will disagree on who brought who to the dance (where is the damn dance).  Price protection is handed out like candy and all bets are properly hedged by both groups.  

Ever have a prospect do a bake-off?  You find out that you lost a deal because your ELFEXTnumber didn't quite make the grade?  Translated, the user saw seven different brands of cabling system products and in the end picked the one that was in last or the incumbant because there is little thought involved.

I think users, designers and contractors are all looking for the same things when they select brands or suppliers.  My hope is that salespeople and sales managers form our industry community will share their experiences, anonymously or by name (stripper name is OK also), and we can all become more RELEVANT!  Humor is key and this should all be done with the intent of making our sales efforts more profitable!