Business, Profits and Strategy

Andrew B. Zezas, SIOR
Relationship Manager,
Strategist, President
(908) 245-5999 x11
andrew.zezas@realstrat.com

The Customer is Always Right, Except When...

Part Two of a Two Part Article
Click here to read Part One

Since most well-run companies don't make significant business decisions by starring at a menu hanging above a French fry machine, what should happen when a service provider recognizes that her client's decision may give them an upset stomach? Therein, lies the difference between a professional service provider, one who seeks to provide great service to his client, is keenly interested in protecting that client, building trust, and securing a long-term relationship; and a salesperson who is only interested in closing the deal, taking your cash, smiling as you walk away with your burger, fries, and the latest movie toy, and looking for the next customer.

Now, don't get me wrong. The sales profession is a noble one, and can be incredibly challenging, even to the most seasoned veteran, even in a burger joint. But, take a moment to understand the title "salesperson" and the true meaning behind it. A salesperson is someone whose job is to sell you something. That's it! It's not any deeper than that. Their job is to understand enough about you and your needs to match you with a product or service that someone will pay them to sell to you. PERIOD!

Don't be fooled by the terms Sales Consultant, Sales Associate, Customer this or that, or my favorite, "Customer Representative". The next time you encounter someone with that title ask them to explain how they'll represent your interests when their job is to sell you something.

You'll do very well to accept that a salesperson's job is to "sell" you on buying a product or service, closing that sale, and collecting your cash. Salespeople don't represent you, they are not typically paid to look out for you, nor to protect your interests. Mind you, there is not a single thing wrong with this equation. Someone wants you to buy something (It's what makes the world go 'round!), so they hire someone to sell it to you...makes perfect sense! The salesperson does not work for the buyer. By understanding the true role of the salesperson, you'll do very well.

A salesperson will always tell you that you're right. Remember, that they're job is to make it easy for you to buy quickly. So, of course you're right! In fact, you're a genius! You're the smartest, tallest, thinnest, most attractive, best dressed, smartest, and most sensitive human being they've ever met...that'll be $356.87, please...will that be cash or charge?

But, is that what business executives really want or need? Of course, there are times when we do know precisely what we need. And, in those instances, all we may truly require is the ability to pick our solution off of a shelf or find a salesperson who'll sell it to us...no muss, no fuss!

But, with complex and sophisticated business problems come the need for solutions to be precisely designed to overcome those challenges and to support the objectives of the buyer. Having a salesperson present you with options that meet the needs of the people who hired her to sell those products or services to you won't work either. We're talking about considering multiple alternatives and "designing" a solution, one that will solve the problem at hand, and presenting it in such a manner that will permit the buyer to make the right decisions with confidence. Such decisions must be based on thorough evaluation of the situation, the objectives of the buyer, and the available alternatives; planning to make certain that the available alternatives will satisfy the need, or whether custom solutions will be required; and ultimately, the selection, approval, and execution of the optimal solution.

There is no place for a salesperson in this type of circumstance, at least not in direct relation to the buyer...and not until the buyer has evaluated all of its alternatives. I'm not knocking salespeople (Remember, my belief is that salespeople serve a real and needed purpose, but only at the right time!). But, in a complex process of sizing-up a financial or operational situation, and then planning and executing viable alternatives, a salesperson has no more place in designing a customized and complex solution than does a Girl Scout selling cookies or your favorite uncle who's got another get rich quick scheme! The salesperson's job is to sell, on someone else's behalf. If a salesperson has the right solution, you'll need to verify every aspect of that solution, to make certain that, in fact, it will satisfy your needs. That's where your advisers come in.

In any large, strategic, costly, complex, sophisticated, or mission critical business endeavor, like that of corporate real estate acquisitions or dispositions, your company's interests will be best protected by engaging experts to help you sift through the alternatives presented to you by salespeople, and to guide you as to how to make the right choices based on your company's specific needs. Hire knowledgeable professionals who can educate you as to the pros and cons of various courses of action, and can help your company evaluate its alternatives, and then plan and execute the solution(s) that will best serve the operational and financial needs of your company, reduce risk, create flexibility, and enhance stakeholder value.

In a traditional sales transaction where the customer knows precisely what she needs, the customer is always right. In complex business projects, the customer would do well to engage professional advisors to ensure that he is right!

Andrew B. Zezas, SIOR, is Relationship Manager, Strategist, and President & CEO of Real Estate Strategies Corporation, Publisher of "Business, Profits and Strategy", a monthly online publication read by thousands of business, financial, and real estate executives nationally, and, is the author of two new real estate books, The CFO's Guide to Understanding Corporate Real Estate Transactions and The CFO's Guide to Hiring the "Right" Real Estate Service Provider, both of which will be available shortly at www.thecfosguide.com.

Mr. Zezas is well-known for his ease and informative style of public speaking, and has given talks, presentations, and has lead educational programs for business, professional, government, and trade associations, including the Building Owners and Managers Association, American Management Association, the U.S. Postal Service, RealComm, Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), and others. Andrew is National Chairman of the SIOR Tenant Representation Specialty Practice Board, and is a licensed real estate instructor in Texas and Indiana. He can be reached at 908 245 5999 or via email.

Real Estate Strategies Corporation, located in Kenilworth, New Jersey, and serving clients throughout the country, helps companies create and execute Business DRIVEN Real Estate Solutions...and Opportunities, faster and with less risk. Visit www.realstrat.com.

Read other business, real estate, and finance articles written by RealStrat's experts.

THIS WORK IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL AND USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT MATTER COVERED. HOWEVER, IT IS SOLD AND/OR PROVIDED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AUTHOR AND THE PUBLISHER ARE NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, FINANCIAL, ACCOUNTING OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVICE TO THE READER. IF LEGAL, FINANCIAL, ACCOUNTING OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVICE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE SOUGHT. THE AUTHOR AND THE PUBLISHER SPECIFICALLY AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY THAT MAY BE INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR APPLICATION OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS CONTAINED IN THIS WORK.