Maveryck Marketing: Reaching the Decision Maker with a Purpose – Second Episode
In my previous blog post, “Maveryck Marketing: Reaching the Decision Maker – First Episode” , I discussed various ways I mentor business owners on how to connect with the “right” people within companies they are targeting for business opportunities and how to not waste time doing so.
In this Second Episode, we will walk together to understand the importance of not only how to reach the decision maker, but how reach the decision maker with a purpose.
Every phone call, in-person visit, blog post and other business development activity should be executed with a purpose. For instance, the purpose of this blog post is two-fold. Firstly, I sincerely want to share my knowledge with others so they can successfully grow their businesses. Secondly, I want to continue to grow Maveryck Marketing and want to help grow Maveryck’s strategic partners’ businesses, simultaneously!
REMEMBER THIS: You can actually generate business revenue from sharing your knowledge, especially when the information you share adds “true” value to your target audience (the people who you are trying to reach). When you deliver something good to your audience, they will share it with others and others when others experience the same, they will share the information with their network- and so forth and so on… Here below are some examples from the Maveryck blog:
Air Jordan 22 says:
January 7, 2011 at 12:49 AM
It is said that, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not seriously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Your blog is worth for me to read attentively.
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Anibal Dandrow says:
January 5, 2011 at 9:59 AM
Hi administrator, I’ve got a small request. I had been basically searching for details on the topic you wrote and located this post. Some really nice material you published here. Can I please share this post on my latest web site I’m working on? That would certainly be great . I am going to come back yet again later on to see how you replied, Thanks!!
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WORD of MOUTH and online viral marketing can be a great inexpensive way to grow your business- in a relatively short amount of time. Malcolm Gladwell talks about this in great detail in his book, “Tipping Point”.
In the First Episode, I mentioned the importance of connecting with individuals who can provide valuable information regarding their company and provide information about other individuals who either have responsibilities evaluating the procurement options considered, influencing the choices made or deciding on what gets purchased. The three roles are affectionately known as the Evaluator, the Influencer and the Decision Maker, respectively. Please treat each with the same level of respect as they each play a significant role in the decision process/loop. Communication can flow in any direction within an organization.
Author and Personal Communication Skills Consultant, Kevin Daley, clearly discusses this point in his book (with Emmett Wolfe), “Socratic Selling- How to Ask the Questions that Get the Sale”. Kevin writes about the importance of listening more than talking. Socratic Selling has the following the principles: RESPECT THE CUSTOMER, HELP THE CUSTOMER THINK and HELP THE CUSTOMER MAKE DECISIONS. Is great read and is what I believe!!
Assuming you have successfully navigated your way through the company and have reached one of the three parties within the decision loop…
What will you say to them?
Remember in the first episode I wrote about how you need to deliver who you are, the company you are with and the purpose of your call in less than 10 seconds. The “purpose” will allow who you are speaking with to quickly identify which organization (or team) and/or person to refer you to. Well the same is true with the decision loop person. You may only have one opportunity do a great job so you need to be prepared.
Understand the company as much as possible, its successes and its challenges. Be prepared to have something to offer the company today, tomorrow or even several months from now. Let me expand that thought.
If the person asks you:
“What can your company provide to our company?”
Please do not say:
“We build the best websites for our clients and we can do the same for you…”
That is not helping the customer, or in this case, helping the potential customer think. That response does not add or help the person quantify or imagine specifically how your company’s offering fit with their company needs. A better response would be:
“ Ms. Johnson, I researched your company’s website and read numerous reports and press releases. I found that your company is planning to help non-profit organizations whose agenda addresses environmental sustainability. The report stated that over the next 3 years your company will invest $30 million dollars on staff support, marketing and educational materials.
Ms. Johnson, you want to know where my company fits into this equation? We can support your marketing efforts during the next 3 years. We have extensive, global experience working with non-profits that exist to specifically deal with environmental issues.
Now, I envision my company working directly with yours and with the nonprofits to map out a strategic marketing plan that will effectively communicate the message that we help develop so that the intended target audiences clearly understand the purpose of the message and happily take the appropriate action to support the cause.
Furthermore Ms. Johnson, my company can also team with yours to identify and develop appropriate marketing tactics where the messages can channel through. Like your company, our company is totally committed to the Green Initiative and will continue to align ourselves with entities who are the same.
Now that have I have painted a picture of what we can provide, would you be interested in exploring the possibilities of our companies working together to serve the non-profit organizations your company plans to support?”
Now, I had planned to continue this post but I will stop here because I am very interested in knowing what your thoughts are regarding the role play statements above. Please be specific, clear and concise as I would like to simulate some good conversation around it.
Your thoughts are always appreciated. And there is more on this topic to come!
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Maveryck Marketing: Reaching the Decision Maker – First Episode
Small business owners come to me all the time asking how to get the decision maker on the phone so they can present their offering. There is no trick for success, but I can tell you from personal experience after haven spoken to and actually sold services to key decision makers at some of the largest corporations -there is a method to the so-called “madness”. The best way to reach the person who has the power to say “yes” and the budget to back it up, is to do your research before you even try to contact “that person”. For instance, it is sometimes better to speak with that person’s assistant and get a feel for what is going on in the company and specific department so that you will have an internal perspective and can tailor your presentation accordingly. If you are responsible for business development or sales at your company, please understand and never forget, the switchboard operator, the administrative assistant, and many other individuals- commonly known as the “gatekeeper” should be your best friend. The same applies to lower-level functional titles such as analyst, representative, specialist and coordinator. These titles are even better because they provide insight to the “ground level” of their organizations. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a proponent of the “top-down” sales approach. By that I mean, you can save a tremendous amount of time and effort by connecting with someone with an executive title such as Vice President or, in some companies, a Director – and be referred down to a subordinate. This is the best option simply because directives handed by upper management to subordinates become priorities for those subordinates. With that stated, good preparation before a call with an executive is essential. The value of relevant business and market data cannot be measured and in many cases, a lower-level staff member can provide some good insight to your preliminary research efforts. When used properly, the information you have learned about the company and the ecosystem in which exists, can yield you instant credibility with decision-makers and others you have conversations with. Do not be surprised if you know more about the company than who you are speaking with. Usually, a gatekeeper will hand over the right contact information once you have gained their respect and trust. If your message conveys “value to the company”, you will (more often than not) be routed to the team or individual who is in the mix of what you are trying to offer.
You must be flexible if you want to reach the decision maker. There will be obstacles to over come. Some companies present more challenges than others. On some occasions, I would actually call in to large companies and asked for the CEO. Of course, I knew I would not get that person – and to be honest, I did not even want to speak to the CEO (too high up on the ladder). I only used this tactic when I had difficulty identifying the person or the title I needed to connect with. Okay so I reached the Office of the CEO and had the Administrative Assistant on the phone. Now, please do not be misled. In a large corporation anyone remotely close to the executive office will be sharp-minded, business-savvy and educated so do not condescend to the person holding an administrative assistant title. Your pitch actually began at the switchboard operator, but your pitch needs to be clear and concise. You need to deliver who you are, the company you are with and the purpose of your call in less 10 seconds. The “purpose” will allow the person to quickly identify which organization (or team) and/or person to refer you to. The better you connect with the gatekeeper the more willing that person offers information. Try to get multiple names, understand the chain of command and if the rapport is good, get direct numbers and email addresses. The admin is the executive office sees everything, so be kind and do not be afraid to ask for the information. The reason why I ask for multiple contacts is that the companies of today have higher turnover with its employees. Here today, gone tomorrow.
So now you have the contact and you call the person and get the assistant. You want to mention that you were refer “by the office of the CEO” (or whatever executive office sent you) . Again, explain who you are and why you are calling, but now tailor your pitch more specifically to your offering because at this level, the person you are speaking with will be able to hone in on the exact person you need to connect with. Be sure you understand which person is the decision maker and which are decision influencers and evaluators.
You may or may not be able to speak to the decision maker right away. Remember, the more information you collect before you connect with that person the better equipped you will be. Ask questions to each person you speak with to help build your case. You can uncover opportunities this way. I was able to close a deal simply by asking everyone who I spoke with about what their plans are, pain they were experiencing, likes and dislikes with current vendors, etc. Always use the information you gathered on previous conversation on any subsequent call.
Tune in soon for more details on how to reach the decision maker.
“Maveyck Marketing: Reaching the Decision Maker with a Purpose – Second Episode” now available!