The Deciding Factor

By Don Eger, Sales Representative

Everyone is looking for the “silver bullet” these days; the one factor that separates a “win” from a “loss”. Management in every business segment is asking themselves, “What can we possibly do to close the sale faster? We have the best technology, resource integration, great people and a proven track record.”

Like it or not, there is no single factor that makes any company really stand out in the crowd these days. Technology has become the great equalizer… and without it you’re doomed. While having it, there is the constant struggle of staying in the forefront every single day. Rating the competition on the proverbial 1-10 scale only reinforces the harsh reality that there is a great deal of parity in these challenging economic times.

So what is the key differentiating factor? What causes a company to choose one prospect over another? Quality? Price? Performance? Sure, they all impact the final decision, but ultimately, the real deciding factor is CHEMISTRY. That’s right; the reality of it all is that people like to do business with people they like, people they can identify with. You certainly wouldn’t want to do business with someone you didn’t think you could get along with, regardless of the strengths of their respective organization.

It’s not always easy to quantify, but chemistry is a key determining factor in who gets the business. And it is an even more important factor in retaining the business once it is landed. The customer/client must be able to identify with the team that has been assembled to service the account. Trust, proactive behavior, problem-solving abilities, dependability and a sense of urgency are the attributes that are so difficult to identify in the courting phase, but are key components in developing and maintaining the best of relationships.

So, when your next prospect is in the decision-making process, never discount the impact of good chemistry. More often than not, it IS the deciding factor.