skill
lyze positions within your customer base. Which people are typically involved in the decision-making pro- cess? Who are the end users? “Look beyond titles and look at
responsibilities,” says the expert. “Don’t ask for the name of the na- tional director; ask for the person who is in charge of a defined responsibility, such as the person who is responsible for bringing new products to market or the person who is in charge of warehouse operations. Look at the downstream effects of your product. Find the end users, because their input can shape the solution.” A vice president of operations at a
large communications company agrees. “What is the logical extension about who would be interested in talking to you? It’s not always the decision maker. Talk to the end user of your product. Find out their challenges. What would make them more effective? What kind of support do they need?”
Make Connections with Customers How to get a 360-degree view of the
customer’s organization RENEE HOUSTON ZEMANSKI
While identifying and reaching a decision maker may be a key part of the sales process, it isn’t always the last step in getting the sale. Getting to high-level influencers, however – especially in large companies – is key. Even if you get an appointment with the top decision maker, you may not get the sale because the CEO may want buy-in down the line. Influencers can make or break your sale, so here are some steps to find them, woo them, and get them on your side. Since “high level” can mean dif- ferent things at different companies,
10 | JULY 2015 SELLING POWER © 2015 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
first you need to find out how the company is structured. Sure, you can visit the company’s Website and look at annual reports, but these may or may not get you all of the information you need. For example, the market- ing director at one company could be the communications vice president at another. So, where do you begin? One expert in strategies for selling
to large companies suggests look- ing at your current customer base for guidance and then making some presumptions as to how a prospect’s company might be structured. Ana-
“Once you find these people, you need to customize your approach to show that you’ve done your home- work,” adds the expert. “Whatever you say on the messages that you leave, the emails that you send, it has to indicate that you are aware of what is going on in that organization and that you understand their challenges. “And don’t limit yourself to one door or one way in to get into a company. Start a multi-pronged account-entry campaign that targets several people within an organiza- tion,” she explains. “If you only go after one person in an organization, you are totally at the mercy of that one person. For example, even if you know the chief financial officer will sign off on the deal, you should still get the benefits person behind you to support the decision.” She defines this “multi-pronged campaign” as contacting sometimes as many as 10 people before you get to the final decision maker. “These people are critical cogs in the wheel; use multiple media to con-
Teaches reps how to get inside a
prospect’s company (and get results).
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