good sense of what they’re saying and how they’re talking about their company,” says the sales manager.
STEP 2. CREATE A LIST
Based on the information you gather in Step 1, create a list of possible contacts for the companies you’re trying to break into. “The list is the linchpin of a successful cam- paign,” says the consultant. Start with the people with the same title as current customers. “If ‘VP of marketing’ com- prises 80 percent of your titles, then, chances are, that’s who you need to reach,” he says. You’ll be left with some blank spots – either because
you’re breaking into a new market, because there isn’t a “typical” customer, or because you’re starting from scratch. In this case, he suggests using lower-level em- ployees to help fill in the gaps through a phone campaign. Interns are particularly effective, he suggests, 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 op-
erator, “Who is responsible for purchasing X?” he stresses. “It immediately telegraphs that you’re a salesperson,” she says, and you’ll be headed off at the pass. The consultant stresses that her sales clients are more and more often faced with the “no name” policy: if you don’t have a 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 business networks, as well as those of your cowork- ers, suggests the sales manager. More often than not, you’ll find some entry point – even if it’s not the exact one you’re aiming for.
STEP 3. 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, getting to the right people isn’t suffi- cient to seal your destiny, either. She 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 strategi- cally to that organization,” she says, and that rarely means a data dump about the technical specs of your latest elec- tronic gizmo. Instead, “To sell strategically, you’ve got to successfully resonate at a very high level in that company,” she 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,” she explains.
STEP 4. QUALIFY THE CONTACT Once you reach your target – via phone, email, or in
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person – start the conversation with your value proposi- tion. If it doesn’t work – and sometimes it won’t – go back to the drawing board, working 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 the de- cision maker for this project?” or “Do you have a budget for this project?” warns the consultant. “You’re calling on them and suddenly you’re vetting them to see if they’re worthy of your attention,” he says. “It’s insulting.” Instead, be more discreet in your inquiries. “Effectively, you have to qualify every person you speak to within the organiza- tion, in terms of their mandate and motivation as change agent,” he claims. Do they have P&L responsibility? What is that person’s leadership role within the organization? How are they perceived? What is the process they’ll go through to make a purchase? So do your research, make as many contacts as possible, and ask a lot of questions before you waste time on the wrong people who are not really your prospects.
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