So, TWO ENTIRE YEARS IN THE MAKING, we had a very messy agreement with a current long term customer, looking for some new options. They are providing heaps of local economic recovery during the pandemic, the growth won't slow down, and is forecasted to remain in demand well after the COVID recovery. Signed them for a 5 year deal, recommitting to use my employer as a preferred partnership, and specifically to grow important (to my role) KPIs here.
The deal was actually put in motion in 2019, and then paused as the lawyers argued terms during the first few months of 2020, then it was all hands on deck for their team during COVID ramp up... and then... well, it got nasty between the lawyers regarding the legalese, then seemed to be a dead deal, with one lawyer avoiding the others calls/emails. After not giving up, knowing the deal made sense, FINALLY they have signed for a 5 year deal.
I was successful with this, because I didn't stop at no. I made sure my boomer decision makers were pestered by the next round of their leadership team internally (people being groomed for roles when they decide to retire). The deal made sense, they lock in with better pricing than any of their competition, and there is no cap on growth, so if they decide to expand, increase those KPIs that I am measured on, they won't be penalized during the agreement period.
28 comments