Well, it’s kind of an interesting dichotomy. In one respect, obviously super no. In another, quite possibly yes. The simplest comparison from my own experience I can give is that military units that are close to HQ have to adhere to the rules more due to the likelihood of oversight and accountability. Out in the sticks, not so much. “Joe will do what Joe can get away with.”
So yeah, a regional manager and his corporate, uh, handler, canoodling after getting the client drunk enough to agree to a sale in small town Pennsylvania; yes. Very yes.
I mean yes. The phrase that followed me through large multimillion dollar sales campaigns is that “people buy from people (they like.)” You can be the best, but if they don’t like who they’re dealing with it doesn’t matter. This is more true on these larger items where you will have high touch after the sale.
Not every meeting has to be a sales pitch.
I had several where vendors would take me to lunch and mention nothing of gear they would sell. It was just a vendor keeping up with us.
I am so glad I’m not in sales.
I despise vendor lunches and turn them down regularly. No free lunch is worth the sales pitch.
when I was purchasing for a lab the account rep asked me if I played golf and I said no in a sorta yelling diatribe saying just get me the best price and have quality goods and deliver it fast. My guess is other folks do play the golf. I mean look at the effing supreme court. I least last millenia we tried to hide that shit.
