What the caller should have done was conduct online, pre-call planning and then make a few lower level calls to talk to the people on the actual line of fire to identify their problems and uncover their dissatisfactions. Sellers should obtain the names of a few players and build internal champions to promote their product by conducting pre-call reconnaissance.
If this caller had done his homework prior to going straight for the CEO, he could have stated, “I spoke to Mary down in technical support, and she mentioned X problem. In fact, your I.T. director John Smith said he is experiencing the same problem.” Questions about rudimentary business issues bore executives who view them as a waste of time, but when you catalogue exact names and specific problems, you gain their attention. More than likely, you will also be rewarded with an appointment with the right person.
When dealing with large, high-value accounts, I recommend not going straight to the zenith of power without adequate preparation. If you don’t know the organization’s pains and problems, the probability of making a compelling impact on an executive is unlikely.
Note: Gaining immediate access to decision-makers is difficult, so don’t waste the opportunity when you get it. Do your homework, and be prepared.
The Two-Step Approach
After experimenting with dozens of cold calling strategies, I have discovered numerous effective approaches to cold calling, but the two most effective cold calling methods that I use are the two and three step approaches.
In the two-step strategy, a seller uses pre-call correspondence to warm up buyers before making the actual cold call, building recognition and credibility prior to the call.
The first step of the two-step approach is to write a letter or send an email that briefly introduces the product or service. Because of the prevalence of email Spam, I prefer sending both an email and formal letter. The initial email provides buyers with convincing reasons to meet with the seller by outlining how the proposed product or service has benefited other clients as well as establishing the next point of contact by giving the buyer the exact follow-up date and time. (See a sample pre-call letter or email on the following page).
When you compose pre-call communication, send something creative and original that makes you stand out from your competitors. A training graduate related to me how using a creative two-step approach helps him set appointments. Prior to making cold calls, he mails introductory letters that contain a plastic zip lock bag with a crisp dollar bill in it. Referencing the dollar bill in his letter, he uses it as a way to introduce his method for saving the company money. His technique is so effective that when he follows up with a telephone call, his prospects know exactly who he is and mention the dollar bill to him. His creative pre-call approach gives him a much higher response percentage than his competitors who use traditional prospecting methods.
I know an extremely successful salesperson who uses a unique pre-call approach to sell radio advertisements. He produces radio ads for targeted clients and edits the ads to sound as if they are actually on the air. He burns the ads to individual CD’s and mails them to targeted accounts. A few days later he follows up with a phone call and asks them how they like “their” radio advertisement. Since implementing this strategy his sales have increased exponentially.
You might send a potential buyer poker chips with the message, “Don’t gamble on something as important as [accounting software]” or mail a tennis ball with a note that says, “Call me if your current supplier ever drops the ball”—anything that generates interest in a creative, professional way is a good idea.
When sharing some of these creative approaches, I have observed some trainees rolling their eyes as if to say, “Oh, puh-leeze.” I’ve pointedly asked, “Is this too risky for you?” We must remember to test creative approaches. Good sellers are always ready to embrace new truth even if it flies in the face of their pre-conceived notions. Remember, if it works, it may be repeatable, so put your emotion aside and test it.
Never lose sight of the fact that regardless of what method you choose to gain favorable attention, the goal is to set the all-important first meeting.
Sample Pre-Call Email or Letter
April 9, 2012
Mr. Brent Noorlander
Chief Executive Officer
SunQuest Technologies
1503 Jefferson Ave.
Seattle, Washington
Dear Mr. Noorlander,
Since implementing our advanced sales and negotiation trainings, both ABC Corporation and XYZ Company increased sales revenue over 15%.
Through our corporate sales training, we equipped their salespeople with the skills and strategies to make more sales, increase productivity, and most importantly, improve the bottom line.
We are confident that we will realize similar results for your organization.
I will follow up with you by telephone on Tuesday, April 15th at 9:00 A.M.
Sincerely,
Zac Fenton
Zac Fenton
Patrick Henry International
1 (877) 204-4341
[email protected]
Note: Many salespeople find it useful to handwrite addresses on envelopes and use stamps instead of postage meters in order to personalize the look and feel of the letter and to improve the odds of the correspondence being read.
The Three-Step Cold Call Approach
My first sales job involved a mammoth amount of cold calling, and I quickly learned that the traditional method of cold calling our company recommended was ineffective. Instead of just dialing cold, I decided to email prospects a short, personalized message that introduced our company and product in addition to stating that I would be calling in a few days to follow up. In the message, I also included customer testimonials. (See Chapter 18 for more details about using client testimonials). I followed up the email a day or two later by calling in the early morning or late evening when I was certain the prospect wouldn’t be in, and leaving a voice message. My voice message stated that I wanted to confirm that they had received my email, briefly summarized the initial letter, and mentioned that I would be calling again; thus, this voice message placed my name in front of the prospect a second time before my actual call. The call didn’t take place until step three, and I found that at that point, clients were reasonably comfortable with my call because I had already provided general introductory information.
In high-value sales, it makes sense to send more than one letter before making the follow-up call. For example, I know a salesperson who sends a series of notes and letters, containing testimonials from satisfied customers, over a two-week period to illustrate the benefits his product provides similar clients. In his final letter, he introduces himself and mentions a forthcoming follow-up call. In many cases buyers are so impressed with his correspondence that they actually call him before he calls them!
Note: Remember that the primary goal of pre-call correspondence is to sell an interview with the prospect. It is not to sell the product or service.
Utilizing “Executive Assistants” to Set Appointments and Qualify Leads
When Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C., his Roman soldiers encountered Celtic warriors skilled in chariot warfare who would attack their opponents by maneuvering their chariots close enough to their enemies to hurl javelins and shoot arrows. They would then leap from their chariots to fight hand to hand with broadsword, axe, and shield. When wearied from battle, the Celtic warrior would whistle to be picked up by his servant (called a charioteer) whose speed and skill in maneuvering the chariot was often the difference between life and death.
Whenever possible, sellers should use executive “charioteers” to make cold calls on their behalf. Using an executive assistant establishes power in the buyer-seller relationship, creates an image of success, and gives the impression that the salesperson is not despe
rate for business.1 Instead, it communicates that the seller is a powerful executive who is in high demand.
Executive assistant calls are especially effective when used to make follow-up calls to direct mail letters. A sales assistant might follow up a letter by saying, “Hi Ms. Morgan, this is Mr. Hansen’s executive assistant, Mary McKay. I’m calling to schedule an appointment between you and Mr. Hansen to discuss the topics addressed in the letter you recently received from us.” This approach establishes a position of power and builds the image and reputation of the seller.
1. See Chapter 3 in Sales-Side Negotiation to learn more about the importance of building, maintaining, and exercising power in buyer-seller relationships.
Chapter 9
Working With Gatekeepers
P.T. Barnum became America’s premier showman in the nineteenth century. He started his career as an assistant to the owner of a traveling circus, Aaron Turner. On one of their tours, they stopped in Annapolis, Maryland, where Barnum decided to go for a walk in a new black suit that the circus owner purchased for him before one of his performances. As he strolled confidently through the city, a large crowd started following him, growing larger as he continued his walk. After turning a few corners and picking up his pace, Barnum grew nervous and turned and faced the crowd. A man suddenly shouted out, “It’s the Reverend Ephraim K. Avery!” Reverend Avery had recently been acquitted on the charge of murder but the public still believed he was guilty. Barnum attempted to calm the crowd, not knowing who Reverend Avery was; however, the angry mob ripped Barnum’s suit from his body and prepared to lynch him. Desperate to declare his innocence and his identity, Barnum convinced the crowd to follow him to the circus where he could verify his identity.
As the crowd approached the circus, Aaron Turner came out to meet them. He began laughing at the mob and confirmed that it was all a practical joke. Turner himself was responsible for buying the new suit and spreading the rumor that Barnum was the Reverend Avery. For good reason, Barnum was not amused by the joke, and after the crowd dispersed, he confronted his boss. After all, he had nearly been killed and had experienced the scare of his life. “My dear Mr. Barnum,” replied Turner, “it was all for our good. Remember, all we need to ensure success is notoriety.”
That night, the circus was packed with people as the entire town showed up anxious to see the people responsible for the joke. Barnum was amazed at the publicity the joke generated and learned a valuable lesson about the power of creative marketing. The showman never forgot this lesson, and throughout his career, he used clever marketing tactics and wholly unique publicity strategies to attract audiences. He went on to become one of the most renowned entertainers in United States history.
The Key to Working With Gatekeepers
I had a training graduate communicate an experience setting up an appointment with the CEO of a major account that illustrates the importance of using innovative selling methods. Unable to get past the gatekeeper, he decided to use a creative technique he had used in high school to get dates. He sent the gatekeeper a handwritten note sealed in a Ziploc bag frozen in the middle of an ice block. Because of the thickness of the ice, the message was opaque, but once the ice melted, the gatekeeper opened the Ziploc bag and read a message that said, “Now that we’ve broken the ice, any chance I can meet with you and Mr. Smith for lunch next Thursday?” He was awarded the appointment.
Because traditional methods for getting past gatekeepers don’t work very often, sellers need to be creative and, like P.T. Barnum, sometimes do the extraordinary to generate interest, get past gatekeepers, and set appointments.
Utilizing Gatekeepers
After interviewing screeners with the question, “How do you determine who gets through?,” PHI found the consistent answer is, “People I like.” Good sellers recognize that many sales are lost when gatekeepers mention to a decision maker: “I didn’t really like this guy. He was a first class jerk!” If you are rude or pompous to gatekeepers, they may say things about you to decision makers that will leave a negative impression of your character, your conduct, and even your product or service. Many sellers treat gatekeepers with disguised contempt—big mistake! Treat gatekeepers with dignity and respect rather than as roadblocks to be shoved out of the way.
Caution! Many sellers treat gatekeepers with disguised contempt—big mistake! Treat gatekeepers with dignity and respect rather than as roadblocks to be shoved out of the way.
Qualify Your Point of Contact
During my rookie year in corporate sales, I worked on a major account in the most remote area I’ve ever visited—Bethel, Alaska. I arrived in Bethel on a one engine, “puddle jumper” airplane that seated six people. Unfortunately for the rest of the passengers, they didn’t supply me with a convenient little vomit bag.
I was selling educational technology to a school district with a student population that was 90 percent Eskimo, many whose parents lived by subsistence hunting and fishing. Because of the high Native American population, the district received large amounts of federal funding for education, and every educational vendor knew it. It was a highly competitive sale. The district was composed of close to thirty schools, some located on islands with less than ten students who were taught in their native language until they were eight years old, at which time they were taught English. Amazingly, school supplies were airlifted in with district-owned one and two engine airplanes, so the district was highly interested in technology that could connect the various schools via a wide area network, allowing the schools to share information, communicate by email, and distribute electronic books and literature.
Initially, I worked almost exclusively with an I.T. coordinator to acquire technical and account information, and he supplied me with the data I needed to understand the account dynamics while also arranging dates and times for meetings and presentations. I worked closely with this gentleman and we developed an excellent relationship. The sale looked promising, but there was just one problem: this man had no decision-making authority. Just days before the presentation to the committee, he informed me that, although he was a committee member, he had no voting privileges. I almost fell off of my chair. When I immediately began working directly with some of the people in the decision making body who were employed at the district level, I went over my initial contact’s head, and he resented it.
Fortunately, I won the sale and learned an important lesson: good sellers qualify their point of contact. In business-to-business and committee-based sales, don’t get married to specific account players simply because they are willing to spend time with you on the phone. Rather, carefully select, prior to your call whenever possible, where you are going to invest time and with whom. Choosing your point of entry and maneuvering yourself to decision drivers prior to having a non-decision maker put a ring on your finger will avoid your wasting time and effort as well as resentment when you go over the non-decision maker’s head.
The Point? The best way to avoid alienating an influencer by going over his or her head is to initiate contact with the right person to begin with.
Remember that gatekeepers and other potential non-decision makers can be excellent sources of information prior to calling an executive. If a seller is unfamiliar with the needs or problems of a potential client, contacting a few people to gather information before talking to a decision maker can be extremely useful.
Working Through the Gatekeeper
When you reach a gatekeeper instead of a decision maker, it is important to recognize what changed. What changed was the level of the sale. A sale must still be made, just to a different person. Sometimes you must first sell to the gatekeeper, which can take as little as sixty seconds, or it can take multiple calls. In many cases, sellers have to give a similar product or sales pitch to multiple people within an organization just to get to the right person. Don’t let this discourage you. It is a normal part of selling
in business-to-business sales where there are often multiple tiers in the selling process, even within a single account.
Five Steps to Working With Gatekeepers
President John Quincy Adams, an enthusiastic swimmer, used to bathe naked in the Potomac River before starting the day’s work. The newspaperwoman Anne Royall had been trying for weeks to get an interview with the President and had always been turned away. One morning she tracked him to the riverbank and after he was in the water stationed herself on his clothes. When Adams returned from his swim, he found a very determined lady awaiting him. She introduced herself and stated her errand. “Let me get out and dress” pleaded the President, “and I swear you shall have your interview.” Anne Royall was adamant she wasn’t moving until she had the President’s comment on the questions she wished to put to him. If he attempted to get out, she would scream loud enough to reach the ears of some fishermen on the next bend. She got her interview while Adams remained decently submerged in the water.
As Anne Royall’s example illustrates, dogged determination can be a salesperson’s best ally. Her strategy of contacting President Adams on his morning swim is similar to recommendation number five for getting past gatekeepers: contact decision makers at off-peak hours.
The following behaviors will increase your likelihood for success, regardless of how difficult it may be to get past some gatekeepers:
1. Ask for help. The job of the gatekeeper is not to get rid of sales people. It is to protect the buyer’s time. So help them. By asking for help, you are actually assisting the screener do his or her job and making your “first sale” by building a relationship with the gatekeeper.
Power Prospecting Page 9
