Meet Marshall
In the past 20 years, the way we communicate has changed. The rise of technology has eliminated the need and practice of face to face interaction to the point where many avoid it. This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Marshall, 2019 Business Development Manager of the Year. In a matter of minutes Marshall reminds you of the beauty of connecting with someone directly. He is warm, engaging, involved. In short, exactly what you want in someone managing client relationships.
BDM’s are in the people business. In order to properly serve and meet the needs of clients, you have to know them. “You learn and feel more about a person in their tone and their body language,” Marshall explained to me.
“I’m a talker, I talk to everybody. When I meet someone, or hear from clients I say, let’s set a meeting and talk about it. It is a way to show you care. Yes, email is faster, a phone call will do, but getting face to face is so rare these days that it truly means something.” The more you are around people, the more you learn about them. You learn their likes and dislikes as well as how they like to be serviced.
Our BDM’s do more than just talk and listen – they solve problems. I wanted to know what Marshall is looking for on his client visits. “Our clients pay us so they can do their job and not worry. When you know who you are serving you notice things like a client paying four different bills to stock their breakroom, or health-conscious cities having soda stocked when sparkling water is massively popular in the area. I’m looking to alleviate headaches in any fashion when I’m on the road.” Unfortunately, most problems aren’t going to beg to be solved, sometimes you need to find where to look.
This week, set up a meeting. Have a human experience. Make someone’s day. Speaking with Marshall certainly made mine.
LOOKING AHEAD: It seems Marshall and I were cut from the same cloth. The time I spend learning about my peers each week is an invaluable tool for growth. There is so much to gain from someone’s else’s perspective.