B2B Customer Relationships Etiquette

[machinistguy]

Our biggest customer is a publicly traded company. We did ~$190k in sales with them last year, and projected $300k this year. The company is the client... but it's really individuals that we work with. The quality control employee, the team lead, the VP CC'ed to half the emails but we only occasionally interact with etc.

So the "company" is the client, but its human beings with emotions that are making the decisions. I've always maintained a purely professional relationship. Do you push the relationship towards friendship? If I visit a city known for it's chocolate, do I get the team a box of chocolate as a thank you? Do you invite them to a local steakhouse and... talk shop or no shop talk? Do you do this for the whole team or just those in a senior position? I am genuinely grateful to everyone one of them, they took a shot on my company when no one else did, but then again, it wasn't altruistic, I solved a problem they were struggling with for 4 years.

Shortly after we got this client, one of the employees moved to another big company that we could do the same amount of sales with if we had an in and knew what they wanted. Maybe if I was friends with them I'd have an in? Did not getting them tickets to a cowboy's game cost my company $300k in lost opportunity?

Curious to hear the forums thoughts. @Kak @Antifragile @MJ DeMarco @BizyDad, I think you guys all do/did B2B so I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have the time.

 

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[BizyDad]

Our biggest customer is a publicly traded company. We did ~$190k in sales with them last year, and projected $300k this year. The company is the client... but it's really individuals that we work with. The quality control employee, the team lead, the VP CC'ed to half the emails but we only occasionally interact with etc.

So the "company" is the client, but its human beings with emotions that are making the decisions. I've always maintained a purely professional relationship. Do you push the relationship towards friendship? If I visit a city known for it's chocolate, do I get the team a box of chocolate as a thank you? Do you invite them to a local steakhouse and... talk shop or no shop talk? Do you do this for the whole team or just those in a senior position? I am genuinely grateful to everyone one of them, they took a shot on my company when no one else did, but then again, it wasn't altruistic, I solved a problem they were struggling with for 4 years.

Shortly after we got this client, one of the employees moved to another big company that we could do the same amount of sales with if we had an in and knew what they wanted. Maybe if I was friends with them I'd have an in? Did not getting them tickets to a cowboy's game cost my company $300k in lost opportunity?

Curious to hear the forums thoughts. @Kak @Antifragile @MJ DeMarco @BizyDad, I think you guys all do/did B2B so I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have the time.

IMO, there is no right or wrong.

Personally I tend to be informal but "all business". I also pay attention to cues. So for example, I don't ask about people's family, but if they ask me about mine I'll happily share. I won't remember your details, but I'll remember most everything about your biz, your role there, your challenges and frustrations. But do you have one kid or two? I honestly have no idea. Tell me again...

Day to day I have stuff to do and don't have time to chit chat. But in those times where I sense a cammaderie, I have occasionally ask people to have dinner or go see a game. And I'm the guy at conferences who's always up for the after party.

But I also don't ever want it to be pushy or disingenuous. So if I don't like somebody, I don't try to force an extra level to the relationship. We keep it professional and do our jobs.

That said, somehow I get asked for beers or whatever often enough. I usually go and I usually pay. Or try to. If somebody's going to go out on a limb to invite me somewhere, the least I can do is show up and make them laugh.

Like you I wonder about these things. Does the fact that I never golf hurt me? Shoot, I really wish I remembered so-and-so's wife's name.

But in the end, I'm happy with the journey and I'm happy with how far I've gotten. So I don't sweat it too much.

And if I were you, I would track down that person I moved to the other company. I would start on linkedin. I would congratulate them on the job. Then maybe a month or two later, I might give him a call. And I would be upfront with them, then I'm calling to see if we might be able to do some business together. Do you have time for some lunch?

And even if they tell me they aren't in a position to do business with me, the lunch offer stands.

Just last week I had lunch with a lady who had hired me at her two previous stops. She's not in a position to hire me at her current job, which ironically is okay because it's a former client of mine. The original owner sold and retired, and the new company brought in their own marketers. We had a nice lunch and her husband and two? kids are doing well. She likes her job and doesn't miss the old boss (who, ironically, also just recently retired after selling his company to a bigger organization. They kept me on for a few months.)

Small world. You never know what will happen next, so be respectful towards people.

Hope that helps.

 

[Kak]

Our biggest customer is a publicly traded company. We did ~$190k in sales with them last year, and projected $300k this year. The company is the client... but it's really individuals that we work with. The quality control employee, the team lead, the VP CC'ed to half the emails but we only occasionally interact with etc.

So the "company" is the client, but its human beings with emotions that are making the decisions. I've always maintained a purely professional relationship. Do you push the relationship towards friendship? If I visit a city known for it's chocolate, do I get the team a box of chocolate as a thank you? Do you invite them to a local steakhouse and... talk shop or no shop talk? Do you do this for the whole team or just those in a senior position? I am genuinely grateful to everyone one of them, they took a shot on my company when no one else did, but then again, it wasn't altruistic, I solved a problem they were struggling with for 4 years.

Shortly after we got this client, one of the employees moved to another big company that we could do the same amount of sales with if we had an in and knew what they wanted. Maybe if I was friends with them I'd have an in? Did not getting them tickets to a cowboy's game cost my company $300k in lost opportunity?

Curious to hear the forums thoughts. @Kak @Antifragile @MJ DeMarco @BizyDad, I think you guys all do/did B2B so I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have the time.

It is a fine line. I don’t ever buy things for customers. Some large companies have policies against it and it could create unwanted attention as much as I’d like to thank them with appropriate gifts like a nice gift card to go to dinner or something, I can’t.

Now, I will buy dinners with us, and take them golfing. Something we can do together is a camaraderie builder. We do that kind of stuff frequently.

I only see some of these folks once or twice a year. I like our time together to be one of their fun meetings that they’re not dreading.

I also am testing a theory as some of these kings of my industry begin retiring… I am hoping our relationship means they’d be willing to make a few phone calls a month and work for my company on a contract/consulting basis. Keep some play money coming in, or perhaps make more than they were for 1/10 the work if they really want to play ball.

I tend to keep in touch with all of them. Text them funny stuff sometimes. Help them get to know me and also find common grounds.