GPI 413 – Who is 2nd in line to buy from you if your major customer’s buyer leaves? Find out quick!

The last thing you want to hear is that your best customer’s buyer has left his position for another company.  He gave you a lot of orders and now he is gone. What do you do? Who do you contact at that company now?

The first thing that comes to mind is who took his place, who will place his orders and who do you need to contact immediately.  Is there a second person you have dealt with in the past? Who will now make these buying decisions and do you have relationship with that person?  If you do not know, get on the telephone.  Find out today.

Ask these questions to your salespeople for all your important customers:

• Second approval: Read the customer’s purchase order and decipher who else has approved them.  If you cannot read the name, ask and note that person’s correct name in your database.  Did they sign after your purchasing agent or alongside (equal responsibilities)?
• Assistant buyer/order taker: When the purchasing agent does not answer your call, who takes his or her calls?  What is their name and do they actually issue the purchase orders or take orders for the assigned buyer? Do they fill in during vacations and peak periods? If so, they are worth knowing and following.
• Dollar limit authority: When you get orders from your buyer, does he mention he must get them approved?  When he does say this, ask who it is that approves his purchasing decisions and at what level does he have full approval.  Ask what his dollar authority limit is.   Mention you can issue smaller orders if that helps him to get his job done more quickly.  Be careful and be only respectful when offering this as an option.
• Develop multiple contacts: When your firm sends coupons, Christmas cards, announcements for new products or large important sales events, make sure to include cards and notices to the other approved buyers and those people who approve your buyers’ purchase orders.  By including them, you are showing them respect and acknowledgement of their participation in buying from your company. You may need in the future.
• Thank more than one: When your firm gets a purchase order from the buyer, thank not only him or her, but their boss or whoever else might be involved in the transaction.  Get everyone involved and ‘over-thank’ if that is possible.  When your key man leaves, you will not regret the extra effort.