 Bookbinders unravelled…
I do like it when I’m pondering what to blog about and then the very topic rears up and slaps me across the face!!
It happened that way last week. I got on a train to London. The trip was to take 90 minutes. So I could work I sat at a table. At the table opposite were two guys who were already talking. One older guy did the talking. The younger one did most of the listening, but posed a few questions along the way.
Was it me or did the voice of the older guy go up a notch as I sat down? I think it might have done. Perhaps he wanted to impress me with his knowledge and status in life. Who knows! The younger guy was far more discreet though, at least the whole carriage didn’t hear what he had to say….
I got the impression the younger one had just joined the company into a sales role and that the trip that day was part of his induction.
It’s not a great idea though is it to actually do an induction on the train. Particularly if you are in sales!! What was he thinking? Have you any idea how much company information can be discussed in 90 minutes when essentially one person is doing a brain dump of everything in his head!
They clearly worked for a key player in the book binding industry, and whilst trying to crack on with my own work what I inadvertently overheard was:
- Annual sales last year in the Eurozone
- Annual sales last year in the UK plus year on year change
- Annual sales UK last year from their two major customers plus names of those customers
- Profit margins
- Negotiating margins on proposals
- Internal process for initiating pricing for proposals
- Challenges in different sectors – including international challenges
- Key competitors
- What some competitors do better or more cost efficiently than them
- Recent projects carried out for clients and comments on the pricing/profitability of those
- Credit terms for international companies and how those weren’t conducive to good customer relations given that they were at times far too harsh and mistrusting
- Key clients
- Add on sales opportunities
- Clients they would like to have but don’t yet have
- Key decision makers in those clients they would like to have and what they are like and why they are blocking entry to them
- Format of internal sales meetings
- Different individuals within their own business and what they add (or don’t add)
I could go on!
My question to you today of course is:
If you could identify one person in your business who would so carelessly spill your company information, who would it be?
Oh… and if you want to send me your best guess as to which global book binding business last week revealed all, please do so.
And finally, why not take this opportunity just to remind your staff of their obligations in respect of confidentiality? Just a quick resend to staff of your policy and a covering email won’t take long. But it could save you a whole heap of hassle!
 |
