gaps by using lower-level employees through a phone campaign. Interns are particularly effective, says O’Hara, because they tend to sound younger and nonthreatening, and people want to help them out when possible. If you’re doing the calling yourself, avoid asking the operator, “Who is re- sponsible for purchasing X?” stresses O’Hara. “It immediately telegraphs that you’re a salesperson,” she says, and you’ll be headed off at the pass. O’Hara says her sales clients are
more and more often faced with the “no name” policy: if you don’t have the name of an employee when you pick up the phone, you’re not getting through – no way, no how. As a result, tap all your resources to find a person who can suggest someone to speak with. Use your own personal and busi- ness networks, as well as those of your co-workers, suggests Gwaltney. More often than not, you’ll find some entry point – even if it’s not the exact one you’re aiming for.
Set your value proposition. Knowing who the cool kids were in high school wasn’t enough to make them want to hang with you on Friday night; you needed to know the right things to say. And, in the business world, get- ting to the right people isn’t sufficient to seal your destiny, either. Gwaltney says you’ve got to find a way to make their lives better – and a way to convey that information so they can’t help but be interested. “You’ve got to become very aware of what you can add strategically to that organiza- tion,” he says, and that rarely means a data dump about the technical specs of your latest electronic gizmo. In- stead, “To sell strategically, you’ve got to successfully resonate at a very high level in that company,” he says. Make the link between the company’s goals, your specific target’s role, and your unique capabilities. “You have to be relevant to the business,” he explains. Qualify the contact. Once you reach your target – via phone, email, or in
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With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
person – start the conversation with your value proposition. If it doesn’t work (and, sometimes, it won’t) go back to the drawing board, work- ing with your manager and team to brainstorm other approaches. If it does work (and, sometimes, it will!) you still need to determine if this is the individual who can sign the PO and if there are other influencers you need to sell.
While honesty and directness may be the best policy, tread lightly. In other words, avoid asking, “Are you
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