Selling Is Hard. Buying Is Harder

B2B salespeople need to treat buyers as people, not income sources.

Robert Harris founded Chem-Dry, a global leader in carpet-cleaning franchises. A wise business leader, Harris views prospects not only as potential customers, but as people he can connect with on a personal level. Before Chem-Dry became an international success, Harris and his team pitched a Japanese distributor in hopes of closing a multi-million dollar contract. Chem-Dry was excited about the deal, but the Japanese distributor was not entirely convinced. The distributor saw Chem-Dry as a little company with an unproven track record.

When the Japanese distributor sent representatives to California to meet with Harris and his colleagues, Harris lent a personal touch to the proceedings by taking them to his mountain getaway. He wanted the representatives to make a verbal commitment; the Japanese were reluctant. Their posture was to dodge, demur and delay. Harris was a stunt pilot. Understanding that he needed to break the ice with the Japanese, he invited his visitors to join him for a flight in his private plane. Once in the...