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"My customer stabbed me."

Shot, stabbed, stolen from??? From your client?? Then you are indeed a victim.

Lied to, left in the dark, led to believe something other than what you wish???? Your fault. You, sweetheart, are not a victim. Stop acting like it, stop feeling it, stop expressing it in whatever simple way you might to your management.

I've been reading a book about psychopathy, and how its root is a lack of empathy. Often a mistranslated word, empathy is the ability to understand and relate to others feelings. All salesfolk must have empathy.

We will not win every deal.....but we should always be in a position to fire the client, before they fire us. Anything less is a lack of understanding on our part, and a derelict of duty.....sound extreme? Learn.

I lost a deal the other day....a large one.....I was flabbergasted. After roughly 10 minutes of analysis, however, I realized exactly how and why I lost. I sold too high up the food chain, not realizing that who I saw as influencer was actually the DM, and who I saw as the DM was merely a rubber stamp. All mistakes were mine. My competitor won, because of me. I actually had the better overall solution, empirically.

Sadly, I lost, and the real victim may be the business goals of the client. And it is my fault.

Comments

Jon David said…
So true....Jon David

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