Comstock leverages a broad network of senior corporate relationships, domestic and international, to grow your company.
We’ve transacted business on six continents, including initiating the first joint venture between the People’s Republic of China and a Fortune 100 company.
Comstock can introduce clients to C-suite executives in most companies.
We recently introduced clients to the:
- CEO of a leading multinational industrial
- CEO of a leading brewery
- CEO of a grocery retailer owned by a major PE fund
- CEO of a major department store chain
- Founders of two of the top five private equity firms
- CFO of a leading housewares retailer
- President of a leading sporting goods company
- EVP of a leading defense contractor
- Board member of one of the top five US grocers
- Head of store design of a leading tech company
People never truly “listen” until they’ve “been heard”.
So, we attune our approach to their concerns. Accordingly we speak 30% of the time and listen 70% of the time. Most sellers talk way too much.
- Let the buyer speak as long as he/she would like before beginning your presentation, so that they are receptive to actually hearing what you have to say.
- Appreciate that we all have different backgrounds and perspectives and react differently to what are apparently “identical” circumstances.
Buyers are typically initially distrustful of the seller.
At the outset they are in fact adversaries because the salesperson is trying to “separate them from their money”. Therefore, it’s essential to develop an emotional relationship.
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- Even in a quick “transactional sale” such as buying a cup of coffee, a good salesperson will remember the buyer and personalize the greeting: “Good morning. How are the kids?”
Most people don’t like to talk about business.
They would far prefer to tell you about their kids, their hobbies, their sports teams and their travels. So let them do that to establish a relationship.
- Early in my career, a CEO was in for lunch to discuss the “capital needs” of his company. I had read that he had attended the University of Arkansas. As the plates were cleared, I observed: Arkansas really walloped Texas last weekend! The rest of the conversation was entirely about Arkansas football. We bonded since he saw that this Ivy Leaguer actually knew about and cared about both him and SEC football.
Do your due diligence on the prospective buyer.
And gather additional, critical information at the start of the conversation.
Understand that “no” means “maybe, but I am not sold yet”.
“No” is quite frequently the first step to “Yes”. Why are they saying “No”?
- Do they truly understand the value proposition?
- Do they have the budget or can the deliverable be “right sized” to fit the current budget?
- Do they have the authority? Even a CEO may need to obtain “buy-in” from his/her colleagues.
- Is our timing off? Would our proposal be better received later or after further consideration?
- Most people only hear 30% of what is said. So we tell them what we are going to tell them, tell them and tell them what we’ve just told them. It works.
Why We Are Successful In Developing Relationships
OUR EXPERIENCE
- We’ve done business on six continents: in the “oil patch”, in Chinese fisheries, with African tribesmen, with European gentry, with South American tycoons, with Israeli scientists.
- We’ve established trust by declining to execute a profitable transaction and instead suggesting one that produced a superior result for the principal.
- We understand that humor is essential. People are at their most receptive and most creative when they are relaxed.
- We’ve learned that with a few calls we can reach out to almost anyone. Although frequently a text to an individual whom we’ve never met will produce immediate and positive results since we are solving a challenge that he/she is facing.
