Seeking the Elusive Corporate Deal [Part one]

If you are a business person or someone who wants to get into the corporate business world [Corp] you are going to find it very difficult to master any degree of success unless you know the difference between ordinary small to medium businesses and this large animal, I call the “Corp”.

The obvious advantages certainly outweigh the pain of learning how to persuade the Corp to become your customer. This is not a “how to sell” lesson. There are other places to gain those skills. This is a strategic document. To learn about selling in this field would take much study and experience so in this brief article I will only touch on the strategy. We are going to approach this task by first learning how:

· The Corp functions  · To develop a successful strategy to gain a corporate customer for life

How the Corp functions

Unless you have been in business yourself, you cannot truthfully appreciate the real issues of the business owner. So a lesson in the Corp business mind is essential.

1. Stop thinking like a salesperson, small business owner! 2. Your whole team has to be focused to support you in this venture.

TIP: Clear your mind and study the mind of the Corp.

After all, this is the only effective way to be able to “break” this animal into a manageable asset for you to prosper from. Some more essentials:

1. Know that the Corp doesn't have a single decision maker who will buy from you no matter how hard and often you close. [A possible exception to this is if you have a relative or acquaintance as the chairman or chief financial officer].2. The hard closer is no good in this environment [but you have to have the same desire to close]3. You have many decision makers to convince before you get through the decision making process.4. When the Corp asks you to do something it has to be done on time every time. No excuses.5.  They have to feel they are the master so be nice. If you offend someone at any level they won't pass your offer to the next level.6. Don't be greedy. Always offer the best deal. They will know if its not and you will blow your chance of doing business with the Corp.7. Find ways to help and benefit the Corp. Save them money, time and effort.

8. When and if you have the good fortune to have a Corp contact you, react immediately. This call rarely happens but when it does take the opportunity to impress the caller and by organising a face to face appointment immediately.9. If you are at a face to face meeting the Corp will judge you on the way you are dressed. Dress to impress. Corp's like to do business with others that are accomplished and dress goes a long way to display this quality.10. The Corp evaluates whether to buy a product on the information gathered through a number of meetings. The information is then washed against the company's policies and other criteria to determine whether or not they want to do business with you.

Every person that you meet in the Corp will convince you that they have the authority to make the decision on behalf of the Corp regarding your product or business offer. Don't believe them. Essentially there may be 3-4 different departments before your product gets the OK.

There is normally a small committee who takes on board the recommendations of their employees. So who really influences the deal? They are:

1. Marketing manager.2. Purchasing manager.3. Corp buyer.4. Financial controller.5. Others.

TIP: Always remember it can be anyone in any position in the Corp that can kill the deal.