Dealing with large organizations or bidding in a complex environment or with state agencies is often a challenge because there are many different parties involved. For example, in the road construction world, selling your technical solution such as cameras, speed radars, traffic system or digital signs requires a lot of efforts. You have to convince the engineering firm who designed the system that your products match the specifications, and then have the right price for the contractor who will install your equipment. Most importantly you will have to show the end users that the product is the best and can be easily maintained.
A lot of companies direct their efforts only to decision-makers such as purchasing agents. It's been a long time ago that we realized we needed to convince everyone and to address the concern of all stakeholders.
To succeed in such an environment, a company such as SES America maintains a good strategy, helping all employees understand that they are part of a collective effort to serve all parties and not only the users. We listen to everyone. We answer all calls with the same professionalism whether it comes from the top director or from an administrative person.
Setting this kind of culture is essential to succeed in the long term, not only in our industry, but in every industry. Make sure that all people involved with your company or your products are happy – not just the decisions-makers. •