2 Right 2 Left Prospecting

If you are doing business in an area of town, an office building or an industrial complex, you should always take 10 minutes and visit each 2 companies to the left and right of the company you are there to see. If you keep some information packages in your car, you will have everything you need, to walk in and have a very brief, informal meeting with the companies around your customers. Don’t be afraid to tell them why you are in the area - visiting customers. Very often, the receptionist is not necessarily the decision maker however when faced with a live person and not a phone call, will be much more inclined to give up information. If you generate a good list of opening questions to ask the “gatekeepers” you should have good success at getting a brief, impromptu meeting with the person who you want to speak with.

If you did this with a portfolio of 70 clients, you will hit about 280 additional prospects during your regular visits. If you close 5% of those, you have just found 14 new accounts. The 14 new customers would represent approximately $xx,xxx in net new business for your region.

Keys to success:

1. Always have marketing packages in your car
2. Make it a daily habit
3. Make a good first impression
4. Find out the best person to speak with in the company
5. Follow up with the customers you visited

3 Wide 3 Deep

Expand Your Knowledge and Sphere of Influence

With any account or prospect there is almost always more than one point of contact that you can be working with. The goal of this program is to find as many of these people as possible to increase your penetration and ownership of the account. By focusing your efforts on expanding relationships to 3 different departments and speak to at lest 3 people in each of the business areas, you have a much better chance and maximizing the potential of your accounts.

When speaking to your customers, remember that all departments have document needs; you just need to find out what they are. If you have existing relationships to work with, once they are qualified, use these relationships to help you penetrate new areas of business.
Some areas of business to focus on are:

• Marketing
• Human Resources
• Training
• Corporate Office (Executive Assistants)
• Purchasing/Procurement/Strategic Sourcing
• Logistics
• Customer Service
• Sales
• Promotions
• Corporate Relations

I read a book review in the Globe and Mail on a book from an author named Seth Godin called Small is the New Big. In the review the author is quoted, and I wanted to share the quote with you:

Sometimes I see a sales guru in print suggesting a technique so unrealistic and outrageous I don’t even bother to get upset. I know most sane people would dismiss it.However, here’s one I’ve seen at least three times within the past month, each attributed to a different person, each time in a different publication or on-line source. I must address it.

The tip is always aimed at outside reps setting appointments by phone. These goofball “authorities” suggest when you’re having a difficult time reaching a buyer and getting screened, or they’re not returning calls . . . leave a message on voice mail saying,

“I’m having a difficult time reaching you. I would like to meet with you to show you what we can do for you. I’ll be in your area, and unless I hear from you otherwise, I’ll interpret that as a sign of interest, and I’ll stop by at 9:00 a.m. on Friday.”

You’ve got to be kiddin’ me! Heck, why stop with the appointment? Why not say,

“Since you haven’t returned my messages, I assume you want to buy from me. I’ll ship 30 cases right out to you unless I hear from you before Friday.”

How pompous. How idiotic. When I read nonsense like this, everything else the author says has no credibility with me, since I must assume he’s not speaking from experience.

Recommendation

So why does any salesperson not get calls returned, or get screened out? Simple. Their listeners do not perceive returning the call (or, putting the call through in the screener’s case) as worthwhile, containing anything of value to them.

Many sales people create errors of omission (not saying anything of value to persuade the listener otherwise, or being evasive with a screener) or commission (leaving messages that are salesperson-oriented and product-centered, which scream out, “I only care about selling something!”

As we’ve talked about so many times here, when attempting to reach a buyer be certain that you have a results-oriented statement that will pique curiosity. You don’t need to sell them; just get them curious enough to want to spend a little time with you by phone. You can and should use the same ideas you’d present in an opening statement.

For example,

“Mike, the reason I’m calling is that I understand you’re now considering upgrading your office network. Depending on how far you are in the process, I might have a few ways to streamline that upgrade as well as make sure you don’t overspend on hardware. I’d like to ask a few questions to determine if it would be worth our while to spend some time together. My number is . . .”

Trickery and outrageous tactics only contribute to the stereotype of the typical “salesperson.” Articulate the value you can potentially deliver, and you’ll earn the right to speak with more people who can and will buy from you.

About the Author

Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone, is a highly respected author and trainer who specializes in one area only: providing business-to-business salespeople–both inside and outside–with the very best tools, tips and techniques they need in order to effectively use the phone to prospect, sell and service. To see what he can do for your business and sign up for FREE weekly TelE-Sales Tips, go to: http://www.BusinessByPhone.com