Vendor Etiquette, Wooing an IT Pro PT: 1

  Vendors, a group of people we either love, or we hate.  We have some seriously outstanding vendors in the IT communities, like almost everyone hired by Unitrends or Webroot, all great people who exist in their online presence properly.  Even in their offline presence they still abide by the same rules and regulations as they would speaking to us via pop up screens and forum walls.  Sometimes though, well most times I should say, vendors act in a fashion unbecoming of the desired type of person we in the IT profession like to deal with, arrogant, pushy, snobby, liars, and all around just irritating people.  Lets talk do's and don'ts of proper vendor Etiquette when trying to woo an IT pro.

Know your product

  This sounds a bit obvious doesn't it?  Sadly it is not obvious with a large fraction of IT vendors, a lot of these vendors will send out emails, or make calls saying "I have a product I think is perfect for you" and upon request from the IT pro, they respond with "I'll get you an expert" or something of that variety.  We are not hooked, line, and sinker like other fields, we are cold and calculating computer folks.  We want to know about stuff, and want to talk to someone who can have a decent conversation with us in regards to a perfect potential product match up.  Instead we get a desk goon who makes blind stabs at us until someone is willing to talk, and when someone finally says yes, the clean the dust from their own phones and pass us away to someone else.

  Not cool vendors, if you have a product that is perfect for me, and you are the one calling, make sure you know what you are trying to sell.  Once again I will bring up Unitrends, their online community employee's are very knowledgeable of their products, and if they do not know the answer, they are going to make it a point to find the person who knows the answer and then proceed by learning.  This is proper vendor etiquette right here in terms of knowing your product.  Unitrends, good job.

Surprise conference call

  Here is another one of those illogical conclusions of acceptable etiquette we have the "pleasure" of dealing with, the surprise conference call.  Cold calls get annoying enough as is, but harvesting information about us, compiling it into some confusing formulaic approach that they believe will make our knickers hit the floor.  The surprise conference call is a very annoying approach at trying to get us on the phone with a group of "experts".

  We have tight schedules working in IT, we have deadlines, we have time sensitive needs to deal with.  For example at this time, I am working on a workstation overhaul for 5 people, a server migration, workstation setup for 2 new users, as well as moving every workstation in the office to prepare for a steam cleaning.  My schedule does not facilitate a surprise event to any degree at this time.  Although some vendors think that at a drop of a hat, they can just send you an email with a date and time then tell you how many "experts" are going to be on this call to make us feel more inclined to join or something?

  We can't just "join" a conference call because it fits your schedule, especially if we have no clue what or why we are joining.  When or why would this ever be a sensible approach to someone who has no clue what you are trying to sell, who has no clue who you are, and lacks any interest in moving forward with you the second that email arrives in our inbox.  This is NOT proper etiquette vendors, this is a huge no.

Ask Mom because Dad said NO

  An IT staff is usually configured of multiple people with their specialties in specific area's all answering to the head honcho.  The head honcho isn't necessarily the omnipotent overseer of all things technology based, but more so works with every IT pro to reel in the absolutely perfect goal to achieve their desired outcome.  Sometimes a vendor will find out there are multiple IT pro's with purchasing power in an establishment and are going to poke until they get the head figure that is willing to say "sure I'll buy your product".

  This isn't just poor etiquette, it is outright disgusting and annoying to a degree at which science and mathematics have no measurement.  There is no way of dodging the reality that is created in this situation, IT pro's are now going to fight with one another of a disagreement of what is best for us.  Creating an internal level of instability is a HORRIBLE tactic in an attempt to get sales or grow your business.

  If I say NO to a wireless access point for my business, you BETTER NOT call another IT professional on the staff and try to sell to them, you are not just going to lose a customer permanently, but you are, without a doubt, going to get horrible online press.

Respect the word No

  Ever get told "No" in your life and have a drive to keep pushing?  Ever go to a store and tell a salesmen "No" before walking away bluntly because they keep trying?  We all have, there is no doubt about that, the word "No" sucks, this is coming from an ex salesman might I add.  But here is a fun fact about the word "No", if you get 1 No, it isn't the end of the world, but it is cause to back off a little, maybe drop a hint 1 more time before outright giving up.

  If I'm hooked on a deal that I've already signed, doesn't mean I'm not going to hang up on someone who keeps pushing.  Some online vendors think that just because they landed a sweet deal, they can keep selling... and selling... and selling... never recognizing the word "No" as a means to stop.  If we are not interested after the second "No", what makes you believe we will be interested after the Fifteenth "No"?  Our decision dice aren't going to re-roll themselves to a more favorable outcome for your employer.

  Let us not forget this one deal is done, and from this point forward, if a waterfall of "No's" didn't get you to leave us alone before, you better believe this is the final deal we will ever strike together.  We will not be bullied into a position we are not comfortable with.

Etiquette Etiquette Etiquette

  We respect and understand why you do what you do, landing a sweet sale with a huge IT firm or IT staff in the hopes of being the next big thing.  Problems only exist when the perceived understanding of etiquette, and the real version of etiquette are so skewed that four above qualities get ignored in favor of "the business".  Respect our use of the word "No", don't go shopping for better answers, don't randomly schedule us to be places we didn't ask, and don't call us just to pass us on.  We are IT Pro's, and we are blunt, if you treat us badly, we won't hesitate to play ball.

  If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, let us know in the comment section below.  And as always, be safe my fellow goblins.

SHARE

About Unknown