By Dave DiGirolamo, CTS-D LEED AP

Many technology integration companies believe that the salesperson is the face of the company. There are discussions in sales meetings about dressing professionally, saying the right things during the sales interview process, and being responsive to a client’s needs. As a salesperson, I feel this is very important. However, I don’t believe that this is what your client remembers six months after the project is done.

The client will remember his/her interactions with the field team more vividly than the interactions with the sales team. The value of having good technicians and project managers can’t be overlooked. In fact, a strong field team can more than make up for a mediocre salesperson.

A salesperson might get an hour or two to make an impression on the client. That short amount of time increases the pressure on the salesperson to make a good impression in a short amount of time. It is also to their benefit because it limits the amount of time the salesperson has to put their foot in the mouth in front of the client. How many times have we witnessed this happen even with the limited number of hours spent with the client?

Often times during an audio video installation, the lead technician needs to review the scope with the client, make final device location decisions with the client and even make some system functionality decisions with the client. When the client is not happy about any aspect of the project, the lead technician is often the first person to hear about it. If they respond correctly, the relationship survives or is even strengthened but an incorrect response from your lead technician can really damage the relationship.

If you have a lead technician who is dressed appropriately, speaks knowledgeably and respectfully during the installation phase, and is responsive to the client needs, you have a great asset. Maybe we should invite all of our technicians to our next sales meeting!

As we near Thanksgiving, take a few minutes to thank those who are making a difference in your business!