From time to time I get a call to meet with someone new to our industry so they can "pick my brain." That has to be a challenge as many think that simply finding the organ is difficult, but there you go.
Yesterday I had lunch with Rachelle Bowers, new sales manager and marketing guru for Bijan Rad over at Syspark. She’s bright, articulate, and ready to go. She has a month of parking experience and knows a few of our buzz words. My take — she will succeed and represent Bijan well.
The issue is mine — what do you say to someone when they ask, between the arrival of the ice tea and the main course "tell me about parking."
I started by listing the organizations she should join, then by asking about her product and where she was going to focus. Her answer seemed reasonable so I gave her some pointers about how I would approach that part of our market.
Then I told her this — I would ask a customer if I could spend a few days actually working in a garage, as a cashier, a customer service assistant, or in lock step with the manager. This way, I said, she could get a "feel" as to the problems experienced by the folks that actually use her equipment and how the equipment helps them in their jobs. She might also get a first hand understanding as to why revenue control equipment is necessary.
I then asked her why some garage staff never take vacations. "Because they are workaholics," she said.
She does have just a bit to learn but she will.
JVH
By the way, she did what every salesperson on the planet forgets to do,,,she asked about me. She got me talking about me. Impressive.
