Conference 7.286::digital

    
    >> The company is located in central Mass.  Anybody know which sales
    >> office to call?
    
    Uh, the nearest sales office? (Check your Digital phone book)
    
    If it's not a huge sale, the customer (and, therefore, Digital) may be
    better served by a distributor such as Pioneer.
    

    
    
    	I believe that Central Mass Sales is covered out of 
      Shrewsbury office.  Waltham covers Eastern Mass... out to 
      (but not including) Worcester County.  
    	Usually sales offices have reps who specialize in diffrent
      industries, so if you know the industry, that may expedite.
    
    

    I believe Springfield and Burlington are it for Sales offices in
    Massachusetts (outside of Boston).
    
    At one time we were buying our raw materials from GE Plastics. GE
    Plastics is a good customer of ours, perhaps our relationship with them
    would be of some value in a sales opportunity with your wife's company.
    Mark Lynch is the rep who covers GE Plastics in Pittsfield.  He's in
    Springfield, you could start there.
    
    Al
    

    Central Massachusetts is covered by the New England Account Group.
    They are responsible for all sales in ME/NH/VT/RI and Massachusetts
    outside of 495.  The Waltham office takes care of inside 495/outside
    of Cambridge.  The Boston office takes care of Boston/Cambridge.
    
    I am in Eastern Region sales and have forwarded the basenote to
    the Account Group Manager.  FYI, the "main office" for the New England 
    Account Group is at MKO1; they have satellite offices in a number of 
    locations... Portland, ME, Burlington, VT, etc., etc.  There is an 
    office in Springfield, MA.
    
    -j

    >>If it's not a huge sale, the customer (and, therefore, Digital) may be
    >>better served by a distributor such as Pioneer.
    
    Is this "answer" an example of why this company is in the trouble it
    is?
    
    "jackin' the house", Bob

    >>If it's not a huge sale, the customer (and, therefore, Digital) may be
    >>better served by a distributor such as Pioneer.
    
    Is this "answer" an example of why this company is in the trouble it
    is?
    
    Maybe, but in this case a CSO or VAR with more expertise *MIGHT* be
    a good idea.  
    
    Distributors are box brokers who add little if any value.  VARs and CSOs
    have SOFTWARE that makes the hardware worth something.
    
    -Ed
    

    The folks in 1686.9 say that they'll handle any requests.
    
    We have bright orange stickers on our phones telling us what number to
    call in an emergency. Given the state of things, one would think that a
    sales lead certainly qualifies as an emergency and ought to have a
    number that anyone anywhere anytime could call. 

    
    	For quick action to close business call the Resource Assistance
    	Center at  DTN: 276-8774 or 1-800-243-6477.
    
    
        Dan
    
    
    
    
    
                                                  

In the UK, we have the excellent "Opportunity Channel". This is a 
well publicised phone number/DTN for sales leads. It is for 
people whose main job isn't sales, and if their lead turns into
a sale then you get vouchers which can be spent in shops. It's 
been extremely sucessful since it's introduction - sounds like 
you folk in the US could use a similar scheme. For more info, 
see the UK_DIGITAL conference.

Craig

    Hmm. Having a well-known DTN to call with sales leads sounds like an
    interesting idea.. I don't think it's a good idea to print up little
    stickers with the number on it, but putting it in the phone book or on
    the ficsal calendar might make sense..
    
    Of course, there would need to be someone at the other end of the line
    who could correctly deal with the lead (and come to closure, even if
    the solution was to use a distributor)..
    
    ...tom

    
    re: .3, .4:
    
    Thanks.  I called Mark Lynch in SPO yesterday and left voice
    mail.  Janet, thanks for forwarding the note to the right 
    place.  I can provide a contact name at the company if someone
    from sales needs it.
    
    Glenn

    If, by Central Mass you mean the Worcester County area, you should
    contact the Shrewsbury office. There is a small sales office in 
    Shrewsbury responsible for end-user sales in Central Mass. The Account
    Set Manager is Taryn Recco @SHR  DTN 237-6975. 
    
    There was an article in Digital Today a few weeks ago in the "DELTA
    did you know ?" column that addressed this very topic and there is
    a phone number listed for use if you don't know where else to call. 
    

	One could surmise that if the question had to be asked, that it is
	not clear. Who do we as employees call with sales leads in the U.S.?
	Who do we tell potential (no matter how small) customers to call?
	Do we no for sure that this small customer today won't keep growing/
	buying from Digital in the future?

	With seven different answers out of ~12 responses, it seems that at
	least it is unclear that we have one sales force with one sales lead
	process (in the U.S. anyway)!

	Since we have 1-800-DIGITAL for external sales, how about 
	       8-DIGITAL (8-3444825) for internal sales leads etc. 

	I bet Sales/Telecom/whoever else could work together to fix this...
	maybe.

This is overly trivial and doesn't address why we don't have an effective
internal lead collection and tracking function

but rather than tie this conference up in knots trying to solve the internal 
problem

when the REAL problem is getting a lead to the geographically-correct sales
office

how about

1: call telephone company information in the city that the lead is in

2: ask for the Digital Equipment Sales office listing

3: call sales office; turn over lead

It ain't perfect, but ...


Norm

    Well, I don't know how widespread this feature is, but on our
    production system we can type "$ SAO" and a screen driver will appear
    asking all kinds of questions about your sales lead (company name,
    contact, phone, nature of opportunity, etc).  It then magically routes
    this info off to some US field clearing house in the sky; actually,
    they are quite serious about it - they gave out coffee cups and drink
    bottles to kick it off and evertyhing.
    
    Anyway, they claim it is used to get sales leads to the correct group. 
    A name on the intro screen you can call with questions is Liz Burns,
    297-3224.
    
    Judging by the age of this note, I guess this application isn't that
    widespread.  Maybe we have it because we are a CSC and deal with
    customers all the time.
    
    /greg
    
    

    
    re: all
    
    Thanks, folks.  I have turned the lead over to the appropriate
    Sales rep.
    
    This is interesting.  I expected about 2 or 3 responses to the
    basenote.  
    
    Glenn 

    
    In my business travels I have come across a potential lead for
    replacing Wang systems out.  However, now that I need the SALES
    LEAD number, it is no longer in VTX.  The corporation is ASG
    a Division of Jergens.  
    
    If someone could provide the SALES LEAD number to call into or who
    I may route this to, it would be greatly appreciated.
    
    Thank U!
    Linda

    Try Mario Mamullo, DTN237-6764, 508 841-6964 for WANG
    Conversion/Migration
    
    Noel

    
    
    Also, see reply 2000.*:
    
           <<< HUMANE::DISK$DIGITAL:[NOTES$LIBRARY]DIGITAL.NOTE;1 >>>
                          -< The DEC way of working >-
================================================================================
Note 2000.8            Possible sales lead: who do I call?               8 of 16
MIMS::BEKELE_D "My Opinions are MINE, MINE, all MIN" 12 lines  20-JUL-1992 17:45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    	For quick action to close business call the Resource Assistance
    	Center at  DTN: 276-8774 or 1-800-243-6477.
    
    
        Dan
    
    
    
    
    
                                                  

RE: .8/.19
    
>    	For quick action to close business call the Resource Assistance
>    	Center at  DTN: 276-8774 or 1-800-243-6477.
    
The DTN connects you to somebody who never heard of the Resource Assistance
Center, and the 800 number has been disconnected. :-(

-- Ken Moreau