Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - (Page 30) 30 The Mix February 2008 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe Business from Pleasure Andy Preston suggests some pointers for successfully converting business in a social environment. any sales teams often do business ‘outside’ traditional business hours and business venues. This may be at lunch, over an evening meal, through corporate entertainment or even on the golf course. There are various things you need to be aware of, however, if you want to avoid the pitfalls of selling in such an environment. In a social environment, the same rules don’t always hold true of a ‘traditional’ business meeting. If you’re meeting someone for lunch or an evening meal, they may just be coming along because they’re interested in free food! They know they’re going to get a sales pitch at some point, but they tend to be a little more relaxed, and therefore suddenly switching to a business conversation unexpectedly can catch them off guard. This is even more the case when it is a round of golf, or corporate hospitality at an event, where there is a good chance that if you’re inviting prospects along they may have accepted the invitation just because the event itself holds great appeal — it could be Wimbledon or the Open Golf Championship. There are two specific areas that you need to be careful about. The first is ‘personal versus business.’ In a typical business meeting, the ‘personal’ refers to ‘building rapport’ or ‘icebreaking,’ and tends to be fairly short, after which you get down to business pretty quickly. The aim of a business meeting is usually to either persuade the person to buy, or to at least move them to the next stage in your sales process. Once you move into a more social environment, the emphasis should be far more on the personal side of things. The talk of doing business should be secondary. It’s difficult to look at any kind of brochures, paperwork, contracts or any kind of written documents over a meal, so they are best to be avoided at this stage. It’s also important to realise M that you are on show far more in a social environment than you would be in a purely business environment. By this I mean your personality, your sense of humour, your conversation skills and so on. By the way, if you’re on the golf course, add personal ethics, honesty, temperament and sense of fair play to that list! I’ve seen many deals lost because the salesperson couldn’t control their temper on the golf course, or had a few too many at a corporate event, and left the potential client in absolutely no doubt who they want to do business with — and who they don’t! No matter how relaxed you feel you can get with a potential client, never be unprofessional. Therefore, you need to keep your business head on at all times, especially if the occasion involves alcohol. I’m often asked: “Is it okay to drink with clients?” Ultimately it comes down to personal choice, but as a general rule I probably wouldn’t, until you know the client very well, and even then I’d stick to one or two drinks maximum. Another important question is “What should I pay for?” Generally speaking, the client or prospective client will probably have expectations that you’re going to pay for everything. You should also make arrangements for picking them up and taking them home if necessary. You need to aware of how much the event will cost (so you don’t get into trouble over your expense account) but don’t expect the client to pay for anything; it is you taking them out after all. In summary, doing business in a social environment is all about your rapport with the client or prospective client. The questions they will be asking themselves of you will be more heightened in a social setting. Do they like you personally? Are you getting along with them? Do you have similar interests? Are they comfortable and relaxed with you as a person? Do they trust you? Can they develop a friendship with you as well as a business relationship? The more they can answer these questions in the positive, the better you’re doing and the more chance you have of either turning them into a client, or them becoming more loyal to you as a supplier. About the Author Andy Preston is director of the training company Outstanding Results (www.outstandingresults.co.uk). http://www.outstanding-results.co.uk http://www.outstanding-results.co.uk
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 Contents From the Editor News and Analysis Brussels Report Calendar R&D: Innovation - Learning to Share Drug Launch - The Preparation Game Q&A - Getting a Head Start Regulatory Compliance - Credible Compliance Clinical Trials - Establishing Trials in China The Mix - Relevant ROI Comment - Taming the Trader Last Word - Under the Microscope Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 (Page 1) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 (Page 2) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - From the Editor (Page 4) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - From the Editor (Page 5) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - News and Analysis (Page 6) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - News and Analysis (Page 7) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Brussels Report (Page 8) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Brussels Report (Page 9) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Calendar (Page 10) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - R&D: Innovation - Learning to Share (Page 11) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - R&D: Innovation - Learning to Share (Page 12) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - R&D: Innovation - Learning to Share (Page 13) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - R&D: Innovation - Learning to Share (Page 14) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - R&D: Innovation - Learning to Share (Page 15) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Drug Launch - The Preparation Game (Page 16) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Drug Launch - The Preparation Game (Page 17) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Drug Launch - The Preparation Game (Page 18) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Drug Launch - The Preparation Game (Page 19) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Q&A - Getting a Head Start (Page 20) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Q&A - Getting a Head Start (Page 21) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Regulatory Compliance - Credible Compliance (Page 22) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Regulatory Compliance - Credible Compliance (Page 23) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Clinical Trials - Establishing Trials in China (Page 24) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Clinical Trials - Establishing Trials in China (Page 25) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Clinical Trials - Establishing Trials in China (Page 26) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Clinical Trials - Establishing Trials in China (Page 27) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - The Mix - Relevant ROI (Page 28) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - The Mix - Relevant ROI (Page 29) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - The Mix - Relevant ROI (Page 30) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - The Mix - Relevant ROI (Page 31) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Comment - Taming the Trader (Page 32) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - February 2008 - Last Word - Under the Microscope (Page 33)
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