When I started selling, I was encouraged to dive vertically into my account so that I could find key people in the reporting hierarchy who could help me close deals in the event my buyer was uncooperative. In effect, what we were doing was putting up a safe deposit box so that we could pass over our buyer’s head, in case we couldn’t make the sale with him or her.
However, I’ve found that over the years, vertical account penetration hasn’t done much for me, other than occasionally pissing off my buyer. Of course, some items lend themselves to only one particular function. But, some of us are lucky enough to sell items that could be used in many functions in an organization. To take advantage of this opportunity, I suggest we take a more horizontal approach to account penetration.
Horizontal penetration can be extremely effective, especially if you leverage your current buyer to help you make presentations. For example, you might sell printed promotional products. For years, he has sold his products to the marketing director. Meet the manager, meet his boss, meet all the people in the Marketing Department. So one day, during a conversation, the Director of Human Resources passes by. Another function that your product uses. Quick, get an introduction! There are many functions in a company that you can sell your product to. Horizontal organization scanning can lead to a lucrative list of prospects and contacts. Best of all, if you like your buyer a lot and have always done an excellent job, the buyer is more likely to recommend you to others in the organization.
The next time you log into your account, look for other opportunities to sell your product or service.
