撞见-客户公司的政治斗争

冰哥曾经在课程提起和客户公司多个人沟通时，要注意各个人户的职位和处境。我这里有个类似的例子。

背景：Tommy 是我在德国展会上认识的客户，合作已有近3年。因为我们的是工业类产品，一般不经过项目部或工程部同意，采购部是不会轻易更换供应商的。15年4月，我司有一款产品停产，我便发给Tommy 一份 EOL notification 。他马上回复他已经收到消息了。今年2月份，他们采购部Alex突然问我此款产品300pcs的供应周期。我自然告诉Alex，我们15年4月已经将产品停产通知书发给你们看了，替代的产品是A系列。（我没有明确说，当初是发给Tommy了）。

Alex 随即回复：

HI Chris,

With regard to the EOL notification from April 2015 for this product, are you able to find out who you sent the email to about this please?

It would be extremely helpful if we can find out who it originally went to, to ensure these type of emails are going to the correct person/department.

I’ve had a look through my emails but can’t find anything.

Alex

很明显。当时发给Tommy时，他没有在意；现在有新订单，老产品没有供应了，新品还需要时间测样。

Tommy 是项目部老大，选品的关键人物。我直接告诉Alex 是发给Tommy 的话，可能会对T不利。
300pcs订单在即。新品还要测样，需要了解项目forecast。

我的回复：

Hi
AlexI am deeply sorry that I do have failed to find the previous
emails, but I am very sure that I did have sent EOL notification to someone of
your guys. I don't think that you are the receipient, and don't
remember who the person is. It has been almost two years.In order to
avoid such issue in future, could you tell us who we should inform if we need
send EOL notification to ?

Another, we can ship the new sample to you next Tuesday. Hope it is ok?Apologies for any inconvenience
again. Chris

我原想事情就这么过去了。谁知Alex揪着不放：

Hi Chris,

Thanks again for all your help with this it is appreciated! Can you recall if the notification would have likely been sent to Tommy?

For any future EoL notifications, please send to Procurement@xxx.com it’s a group email address, so one of us in the team will pick it up

Thanks again

Alex

好家伙。没有说新样品测试的事情，却直接问我是不是发给了Tommy。有点炒作的味道。我意识到其中有蹊跷了，于是在skype找了Tommy。

我先把Alex 的邮件copy 给他看，然后说：

Tommy,I sent it to you. If needed, I can send original email to you. Alex asked me who I had sent the EOL notification to, I told him I didnot find it. If I send the original email to him , will you be in trouble?

Tommy: You sent it to me? Let me check....oooops! Please no!Alex is still not my friend- he is using every opportunity to kill me. （我的担心不是多余）

我：Got it. I will tell him that I failed to find the email again.

Tommy: Thanks much appreciated. I owe you a beer.

我：U gave me the chance 3 years ago. It's good time for me to pay back.

Tommy: Thanks a lot, Chris. Alex wanted a UK supplier. Now you are in and he need to purchase from you. Otherwise he need to find another supplier, but he isn't allowed without my involvement.

我：But I worry about your position. It's not easy to survive or get promotion in big company.

Tommy: No worries. Let's see who is leaving first. :)

我：Maybe I can tell him that I sent notification to someone who has left your company like Nigel?

Tommy: Oh, that would be fine. Thank you, Chris.For the next order, I need to test samples first. Can you send me two units next Monday? We may need 300+pcs next Month.

我： Sure. No problem! (我想要的信息已经得到）

至此为止，样品已寄出。

总结：和同一客户公司的不同人接触，特别是大公司，需要对他们的职位和沟通方式保持敏感度，特别要取得关键人物的信任。如果是你，你有什么其他的好方法吗？同时，欢迎外贸朋友加我微信号（okbaby186) 沟通。