By V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D.
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In the course of my career, I've had to deal with a lot of vendors-software
companies, sensor manufacturers, electronics distributors and more. Some of
them have left lasting impressions on me, whereas others have been eminently
forgettable. I'd like to talk about two of the more memorable vendors, and the
simple technique that they used (perhaps unknowingly) which made them stand out
in my memory.
As my byline shows, I have the letters "Ph.D." after my name; however, I seldom
use that title, except in my various writings and official correspondence. For
professional reasons, I do have these initials on my business cards and my
e-mail signature; however, I never expect people to call me "Doctor," and if
they do, I almost invariably insist that they call me by my first name instead.
For most of my daily affairs, this title simply isn't very important.
Most salespeople don't mention this title either, which suits me just fine;
after all, I've always been a fairly informal fellow. On two occasions though,
a vendor actually took notice of my degree, and chose to address me using the
"Doctor" honorific. Even though I normally eschew that title, this was still a
pleasant surprise. It was nice to see a prospective vendor take notice of such
details, however unnecessary they may be.
Any good salesman knows that building rapport and making yourself pleasantly
memorable are key elements in developing customer loyalty. This simple, trivial
act made these particular salesmen stand out prominently in my memory, and in a
pleasant way. I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I found that I almost
wanted to send these people some of my business-perhaps because such deference
is noticeably rare.
This simple tactic can be especially helpful when dealing with prospective
customers of foreign descent. Remember that some cultures are more
title-conscious than American society is. The failure to mention this title may
prove offensive to some of these individuals-or at the very least, it may
suggest a lack of attentiveness. Better to err on the side of caution, I would
say.
This simple technique is exceedingly trivial to use, requiring no additional
investment of time or effort. At the very least, it can be one way to make
yourself stand out from the crowd of other vendors who are vying for someone's
attention. So why not try it? It costs nothing, it can't possibly hurt, and it
may just land you some new customers.
About the Author:
V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D. is a senior electrical and software engineer at
Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com,
http://www.elispot-analyzers.de,
http://www.elispot.cn).
