The Vanishing Buyer

Have you ever been in a situation where you are dealing with one buyer in an account and suddenly that company stops buying from you?  You call but can’t get through to the purchaser and you end up leaving voice mail messages but you never get a return call. If that has happened to you, you are not alone.

News reports of mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies are something we have become accustomed to.  One result:  Some sales reps are experiencing a situation where the buyer they have been working with is suddenly gone.

If you have been dealing with only one purchaser within the account, you may be out of luck.  But when you have contact with more than one buyer in that company, you have sources within the account to get information from.

Dealing with Changes

Because of changes in ownership and management in many industries, purchasers often are promoted or downsized.  Suddenly.  The person who has been buying from you cannot be found.

The merger of two companies could be beneficial for you.  It might mean additional sales, if one of the merged businesses is a happy customer of your company.  On the other hand, it could mean bad news for you if the dominant account is satisfied with your competitor.

Buyer Influences

When you have several buying influences within an account you will get a better feel for what’s going on inside the company.  If you have a good relationship with your client, it’s a good idea to include in your conversation a mention of a recent corporate change within your client’s industry or community.  If there has been a reorganization in your own company you should mention that to the buyer.  Your client may be willing to share information with you about a change in his/her company that could affect future buying practices.

Knowing about the change before it happens or as soon as possible after it happens is crucial to keeping the business.  You will find out if you have to start all over again with a new purchaser.  The key is to be prepared – ready to meet the challenge.

Get Names

Always find out the name of a new buyer, instead of just asking to be transferred to that person.  If you can’t get through or are somehow disconnected, you will have the name for future contacts.  If you aren’t able to reach the new buyer, write an introductory letter on your company’s letterhead.  Ask permission from your main contact to use his/her name in the letter.  Follow up with a phone call five or six days after you mail the letter.

Dealing with more than one purchaser in an account not only increases your business within that account, it also gives you access to information that could affect future buying situations if there is a reorganization within the company.  This is how you can avoid the problem of the vanishing buyer – before she disappears.