Heading to the City of More Customers. Coming?

I'm heading off on a road trip today. Are you coming along?

The road trip is all about the way your buyers buy. And we are on the way to the City of More Customers. More of YOUR customers, that is.

We are going to start right here. Wherever we are now. Wherever your business is. However good or bad your revenue is. With whatever you know or don't know about B2B sales and marketing. You could be an expert. Or a newbie. Your business could be a startup or a going concern that needs a tune-up. Doesn't matter to me ...

'Cause I promise you it will be interesting.

And there is room in the car.

Jump in!

Oh. No. Not the passenger seat. That's where I'm sitting.

You can get in the back. Here, I'll open the door for you.

Who is driving then, you ask?

Really! You are going to ask me that?

Uh-oh. Maybe before we get too far out of town, we should stop and have a little chat ...

Who is always the DRIVER?

Let's talk a bit about the mindset you need to have on this trip. The mindset you need to have for successful B2B sales and marketing processes that accelerate your revenue.

On this trip, there are THREE of us: you, me, and your buyer.

So, the big question is, who is the driver?

You, you say? Nope.

Me? Nope.

Your buyer is always the driver.

Always, always, always.

Some of you might hate me for saying that. You think that the more you do, the more you sell, the more you close, the more you push, the more buyers you are going to have. Not so. The buyer is always in the driver's seat. Who is the ONLY person who knows where we are going? The only one with the inside story? The only one who knows whether he is going to buy from YOU or not? It is your BUYER.

So settle in to that backseat and put your seatbelt on.

Click.

I've put you in the backseat for now because I want to keep you as far away from the steering wheel as possible!

No grabbing the steering wheel!

No putting your hand on the stick shift!

Get your foot off the brake!

(Ow, that is awkward, getting your foot across the stick shift and shoved down into the driver's side!)

Seriously. It is so easy as a B2B seller and marketer to reach over and grab the steering wheel.

I understand.

I do it too. (Sometimes. *_*)

And I find that the best way to keep you from grabbing the buyer’s steering wheel is to give you something to do.

You are the CO-DRIVER.

There. You have something to do. How does that feel?

How do you like being the co-driver? Do you have any influence? Any power?

You betcha.

Remember those summer road trips with your parents? Your father was driving and your mother, if she was like my mother, was in the passenger seat. Navigating. She had the folded paper map and she was in total control. She dictated the exits, the restaurants, the beaches, the best place to stop for lobster, and the bathroom stops.

She had tremendous influence.

Your buyer is the driver. It is his car. It is his organization that is buying from you. He knows the nitty-gritty of what is going on inside his organization. And he has the ability to influence the stakeholders in the buying decision.

But you have the advantage of knowing how other companies have bought your product or services. You know the way YOUR buyers buy. And you know when your buyer misses a step, forgets something, and you navigate to keep them on the highway to your City of More Customers, driving at maximum speed.

Feeling better about being the co-driver?

Good. But, umm. I hate to break it to ya. I'm the co-driver for now. : )

You are in the backseat until you learn the ropes from me.

Relax! It is comfy back there! We are in a blue VW Jetta TDI wagon usually with a canoe on top. The leather seats are awesome. The sunroof is open. Life is good.

What's the next stop?

Before we pull out of the driveway (it is going to be a l-o-n-g and eventful trip), we should probably do a check on whether you have packed everything that you will need for this trip.

The next few blog posts will ask, Are you ready to accelerate revenue? Or not?

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to getting to know you better. : )

I’m writing about taking a road trip to the City of More Customers.

If you just joined me, you might want to start.