Cruel and Unusual Punishment

I just had to share a recent conspiracy against me by my own internal management and partner team. Hopefully, you will either laugh hysterically (you sick and twisted freaks) or feel my pain.

We'd been working closely with a reseller to win over a large technology expansion for an existing customer. My relationship was not as strong as it should have been and I relied heavily on the reseller's relationship for updates, appointments and the final sale. We had been working closely wit them for over 6 months to try and overcome, technical, budgetary and relationship challenges. Along the way, the customer threatened to look elsewhere for a solution.

After 6 months of angst we drew near the end of a critical quarter of selling. I really wanted and needed the deal to meet some personal goals. The entire Executive Staff in my organization was involved ad pushing hard to win the deal and get it off the street. Customers communication was sporadic and always filtered through the reseller. I struggled to get an accurate idea of the customer's temperature and decision process. One day, we had the deal and the purchase order was being processed and the next, the CIO in Canada was asking them to revisit their choice in vendors. I was then assured that the PO was being cut and issued.

Three day before the appointed deadline, I received the dreaded email from my Area VP. "We've lost the deal! They've gone another direction!" As you can imagine, my heart dropped into my shorts. Within 2 minutes, I received another email from the reseller with the same message. I was now in a complete panic and my ire was rising against the customer and the reseller. I began to make desperate phone calls and send terse emails. No one would answer my inquiries. I felt like a pariah.

After a 2 hour panic, I get a voice-mail from the reseller. In it he admits to being in cahoots with the Area VP and playing a cruel joke on me and my associates...

Through this enlightening experience, I learned something. Don't rely on your resellers to maintain the only relationship with the customer. Be able to laugh at myself for my own reaction. Develop my own paths of communication and stay involved. And finally, find an excuse to be in touch with every customer.