I was gonna wait and build more content before getting to the communication side of marketing, but today I figured out why some successes need to be silent.
I'm in the type of business where references help you sell: software. So I'm always looking to produce press releases announcing new clients, case studies, testimonials, clients' logos uploaded on our websites.
And there's often the opposition I encounter from the sales team: Don't say a word about this client yet. Do not mention this customer name anywhere.
And I'm not talking about the verbal deals, almost-signed contracts. Also, I'm not refering to clear NDAs or contract stipulations.
I am talking about clients that the company has just signed.
We all agree it's in the best interest of the sales people to have in their arsenal success stories and references; so why block marketing communication in these situations?
Turns out that the after-signing moment is quite fragile. It's the time when the client needs to re-confirm its purchasing decission, knowing that having chosen wrong involves a high risk and that a fail can lead to major problems for his company. Software is a strategic purchase for any company and the trust relationship with the vendor just starts being built .
At this point, the decision-maker is still vulnerable to external influences. I wouldn't go as far as calling it buyer's remorse [although it often occurs in technology sector], but it's a moment where a competitor could intervene and try, for the last occasion, to make the client reconsider his decision, by presenting negative facts about your company or your product.
Surely, this is a very aggresive type of commercial behaviour; nevertheless, such practices happen, since the competitors have, at that point, nothing to lose.
No comments:
Post a Comment