NeilWarren
Posts 645
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From time to time you probably bump into just another prospect, who does become a client (not necessarily though) and who then, over time, metamorphoses into a pretty good friend.
I was reminded of this just the other day when I found myself with a spare ticket to go to a Stranglers concert (THE band of my late teenage days and some of the mood music of my life – but not Mrs Warren’s cup of tea, oddly), and the most desirable person that I could see taking advantage of the opportunity, was a client.
That’s a fairly dramatic shift in the client’s perception though, don’t you think (and I hope!)? From “trusted advisor” soberly guiding him through the intricacies of multi-media sales and marketing to the UK sales profession, sucking up the bulk of his marketing and sales budgets as did it, from the lofty heights of “Publisher” and “Database Owner” – to now being some drunken teenage lout, bouncing about and shouting, singing and whistling with the best of them to get that final encore out of my beloved Stranglers, who will be saving “Walk on By” or "Peaches" to the end, as usual. (He hasn’t witnessed this yet, so it could still induce a “relationship termination” of course – if I’ve judged him incorrectly? Nah – I haven’t, he was begging to be taken!!)
Makes you think though, doesn’t it…like what kinds and varieties of masks might our customers and prospects also be wearing which, if peeled back a little bit, could get us some entirely unexpected needs, wants, desires and value perceptions that could be the underlying motivators to many a purchase/sale?
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NeilWarren
Posts 645
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The Stranglers gig was excellent, by the way, and we're still talking, that client and I, with definitely a shared non-business experience we can now add into our relationship.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say he really liked it!
Weird, what some people do in their leisure time....
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