03.30.13
Remember Me?
An inside sales rep, recently scheduled a lunch appointment with an outside sales rep to meet with a vendor and a customer. The outside sales rep gushed about what a great relationship he had with the vendor (let’s call the vendor, Mr. A) and how many years he had known him.
They arrived early at the restaurant prior to Mr. A’s arrival. Mr. A finally approached their table. As he sat down, the outside sales rep warmly greeted him with “Remember me?”, and referred to how many years they had known each other. Mr. A responded, “I’m pretty good with faces and names, and I don’t remember meeting you before.” The now red-faced outside sales rep wilted after this brief exchange and spent the remainder of the lunch in silence.
There is nothing more awkward than having the wrong perception about a relationship. That is why it is so important to continually maintain existing relationships and foster new relationships. As a manager or executive it is very easy to become so busy that we neglect making those invaluable visits to the field. The last thing we want to happen is having to ask an important client, “Remember Me?” It takes a commitment to schedule time for the purpose of building relationships with customers. When that commitment is made, you can be sure that they will know who you are and that you care about their business.
\Next time I see you, if I ask, “Remember me?” Please respond, “Well, Yes I do, Brian!”
Have a great week.
Regards,
Brian
