SELLING TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR: TIPS & POINTERS

<PUBLIC SECTOR SELLING OF CAPITAL EQUIPMENT IS ONE AREA WHERE YOU DO NOT HAVE BOOKS NOR EXPERTS. Yet this post has been read only 3-4 times till now?></SALESPUBLICSECTOR)


          If all the selling I have been actively involved in  is analysed today, I bet that the amount of Public Sector to the Private Sector selling, will be something like 60%-40%. This is not because I was a "Public Sector Selling Expert" or anything like that. Actually, I did not have much choice because then and even now,the Private sector did not have that much of a presence in North East India. And NE India was the territory which I was invariably asked to represent by my employers for the first ten-twelve years of my career.

There are many differences in selling capital high value equipment to the public sector from the private sector and some of these are vital. These can be advantages or disadvantages. It depends upon how you look at them.

In this and subsequent posts, I will share with you the invaluable experience I gained in selling to Public Sector Units in India, so that you avoid making mistakes I made and thereby waste time. I will first  outline the road to traverse for selling in PSU's. You need to be acquainted with it if you do not want to lose time. Please do not be under any impressions that your Private Sector Selling experience will help you out. It will definitely be of help, but at different points along the standard selling route. But the outlined route from point to point is what you have to traverse. There’s no getting over it(as Ronnie Milsap may have said).

The Initial Approach" How to go about it.

A Public Sector Plant consists of two parts-(1)The Administration and General Office and (2) the Plant Area. You need to have vetting from different grades of officers to visit different sections. If you plan to visit the more sensitive plant area, then you will probably need approval from a department head. Making your appointments with the relevant officers and get all vetting done the previous evening is a good idea. This is because you waste the least time in getting your passes made. I have seen people wasting entire day in getting their passes made.

First of all, you need to visit the Materials Department , who will float the enquiries and place the Purchase Orders. You will be required to formally register yourselves in their approved vendor list before they can send you enquiries.  Next comes the “Engineering Services ’Department’ who will have the requirement. Get introduced to all the top bosses and find out about the functions of the different departments in the plant. Make  a mental family tree and replicate it on paper as soon as possible. Arrange a product presentation and invite everyone relevant and a few non-relevant people too. During the presentation, get introduced to all the individual bosses who sit inside the plant and make appointments with them.

Visit the different departments inside the plant and see where your product is required. But, do not try to push your product where it is not needed. Stay true to relationship selling.  Hold individual meetings and presentations. Convince the people who matter inside the plant and they will draw up the tender specifications, in line with your equipment, for tendering.

This is the easiest way to start and it is also useful when your boss asks you to account for your time. I have had plenty of bosses who had not even the slightest idea of how a Public Sector Plant operates. You may be under a little pressure initially. This has become a rather long post but there was no other way. Next time we will take up tendering.

So its bye from

Bilbo