This interview is a few months old but still worthwhile. 1ShoppingCart.com’s Michael Valiant talked with Practical eCommerce; here’s the unedited interview transcript. Not surprisingly, he’s a huge fan of hosted carts, but it wasn’t a cheerleading session; he can see both sides.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Business intelligence hard to find? Build it yourself!
Regular readers of the blog know I’m a huge fan of Jeffrey Gitomer. His newsletter is a great read – there’s always something inspiring in it. Of course, if you’re looking for a shortcut to success you’ll be disappointed; his advice tends to emphasize the important of hard work and self-reliance. Last week’s was no exception. A salesman complained that he had trouble tracking down the independent pharmacies that constituted his natural market, and Gitomer responded by telling him to DIY:
If there is no information available, begin an email magazine or a blog that features a ‘pharmacist of the week.’ Do three or four each month. Call them up, tell them you’re documenting the history of the independent pharmacy, and begin to ask them about their story, how their business has evolved, what makes them buy, and why they select one vendor over another. After six months, you will be a world-class authority on independent pharmacy owners. When you can’t find information, you have to be proactive and get it on your own.
What a brilliant way to ask a prospect, “how can I best sell to you?” People love talking about themselves and telling their own stories – and getting this background information can give you incredible insight into their needs.
