Before I Sell to You, Tell Me--What IS Your Immigration Status?

Posted by Andrew Rudin on April 30, 2010

0 comments | 1589 reads

“We discussed that you have the budget, and that your purchase time frame is 30 days, but tell me, what is your immigration status?"

Don’t be offended. My question has nothing to do with your last name or your accented English. . . It’s just that . . . I’ll be honest: a sales problem I have is that not every prospect buys from me. If our sales team finds 10 illegal immigrants, our boss said we’ll be able to sue our local police department. Which is great, because at least we have another way to make money if deals don’t close. We’ve already planned for the revenue in the forecast. And I’ll tell you something else, since SB 1070 passed, we don’t get as many leads. Our prospects worry that their inquiries could lead to litigation, so they just don’t contact us as much. I don’t like it, but what can we do?

Above all, I want you to know that my company prides itself on building trusted customer relationships. Win/win. All of that. It's how we've always done it. I’m so glad you know this isn't personal. It's just due diligence. But enough about my business problems. Let’s move on to yours. What keeps you up at night, Mr. Gonzalez?"

Andrew Rudin

Andrew Rudin serves as Managing Principal of Outside Technologies, Inc., a firm specializing in social media and sales strategies for information technology companies, associations, and non-profits. Andy has over 30 years of industry experience in technology, manufacturing, government, and professional services. A specialist in marketing and sales risk management, he has been a successful sales executive, marketer, and product manager, and he has delivered projects for organizations large and small. Andy holds a masters degree in information technology from the University of Virginia.

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