Lets step back into the manufacturing industry pre-1990s. Let’s say you need an engineer to design an electrical panel for a piece of automated assembly equipment, or maybe you need a machine shop to make a complicated gear for you. How do you find that company? How do you know if that company can help you?

You ask around or you look through a directory and you call a company and ask to talk to a salesperson. Back then, salespeople were a valuable resource that had the info buyers needed to solve their problems. There weren’t online profit-eating RFQ websites like Manufacturing Referral Network. There weren’t massive lists of “vendors” that all look, smell, talk & act alike like ThomasNet. Buyers & decision makers dealt with salespeople because they needed to. They trusted them and valued their partnership as an extension of their business. Today salespeople are nothing more than professional quoting machines…right? The day of having a relationship or better yet, a friendship with a salesperson is over isn’t it?

Now let’s step back into modern day. [Whew! I was getting the shakes without my cell phone.]

Experts say that 70% of a buyer’s purchase process is already over by the time they talk to a salesperson. Step 1- Do research on the internet. Step 2- Identify everyone in your area that can fix your problem. Step 3- Do more research on the internet to see how each one is different. Step 4- Call each of them and get the cheapest price. By the time a buyer gets to the salesperson they already believe that they are an expert, that they have all the info to make an educated purchase. By the time they call a salesperson they’re ready to put you in the firing squad of bidders and start shooting. They believe that they have the high ground to fire commodity bullets at you and make it all about price. What’s your hourly rate? Can you send me an equipment list? How much do you mark up your products? Will you send you me company financials? What do you want on your tombstone? Small margins & low self-esteem please! We’ve all been in this position & it sucks!

What are you thinking right now? “Well that’s the game you gotta play if you want new business.” “If i submit enough quotes I’m sure to land some of them.” “It is what it is.” Are you beaten up by going along with this abusive process? Can you change it? How? What if your rate is 25% higher but you are 50% more efficient? What if your design is $5K higher but it will save them $20K in the first year? Hey wait a minute! I DO add value, it ISN’T all about price. So how do I get out of the commodity box & into the partnership box? Think about the times you have bought something. If you’re like me you first ask around to your network of friends, family, colleagues to get a referral to a qualified, trusted problem solver. When I buy this way, i find that I give the salespeople the time to explain how they add value and how they are different. I view them as a valuable partner. My trust level goes way up. My secondary process if I can’t get a referral is to ask The Google and start behaving just like the buyers that beat me up. Now I’m the evil, abusive buyer. The difference is the relationship. The deeper the relationship the deeper the trust level. The goal is not to find things to quote, the goal is to find relationships that will bring you problems to solve & customers that need & want your help. Boom! We’re out of the commodity box.