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| | The Marketing, Channels/Partnership & Sales Execs Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Retention | Views: 504 | | Aug 19, 2004 3:01 pm | | Retention | # |
Matt Miller | | Similar to the very good cold call discussion by Steve, Kathy, and Jeff, is it OK to go above the actual customer or users position, if that person has become non-responsive?
In my past life as a supply chain manger, when sales people tried to jump to my boss, I became very irate. Most of the time it would almost guarentee a loss of sale. After all if my boss asked, knowing my job better than my boss, I could provide a million reasons why the salesperson was in left field. Most leaders for right or wrong will listen to their people.
Private Reply to Matt Miller | | Aug 19, 2004 10:02 pm | | re: Retention | # | 
Ash Nallawalla | | > Matt Miller wrote:
> when sales people tried to jump to my boss, I became very irate. Most of the time it would almost guarentee a loss of sale. After all if my boss asked, knowing my job better than my boss, I could provide a million reasons why the salesperson was in left field.
Yes, or they could invent an excuse why your company wasn't the right choice for them. If appropriate to the situation, is there any possibility to "bump into" their CEO or senior exec in an "innocent" way, e.g. golf course?
The book "Selling to VITO" addresses how to avoid this situation by identifying the right (seniormost) target from the start.
Ash Private Reply to Ash Nallawalla | | Aug 21, 2004 1:42 pm | | re: Retention | # | 
Kathy Buck | | If I am presenting my offerings to you Matt as that Manager and you are giving me knowledgeable responses as to your in house methods etc and I am qualifying you as a valued decison maker, Im taking notes and leaving, but might be back in 3-6 months. *wink*
If you are non responsive, at that point I am watching your manorisms and then deciding if you are just an over zealous "gatekeeper" OR that valued decison maker for the owner or upper management.
If your over zealous, Im going over your head. I do this tactfully not to cause bad feelings because some owners appoint a "gatekeeper" on the grounds that they know that person will not let anyone in. If your that valued decison maker, I will propbably send you a little Thank You letter expressing my gratitude for your time, If I feel I have something that could benefit ya, In the words of Arnold S "I'll be baaaack" LOL
K
> Matt Miller wrote:
> Similar to the very good cold call discussion by Steve, Kathy, and Jeff, is it OK to go above the actual customer or users position, if that person has become non-responsive?
>
>In my past life as a supply chain manger, when sales people tried to jump to my boss, I became very irate. Most of the time it would almost guarentee a loss of sale. After all if my boss asked, knowing my job better than my boss, I could provide a million reasons why the salesperson was in left field. Most leaders for right or wrong will listen to their people.
>
> Private Reply to Kathy Buck | | Aug 30, 2004 8:50 pm | | Matt: Retention and cold calling | # | 
Denise Michaels | | Hi Matt:
One book you may want to consider using is called "The Power to Get In" by Michael Boylan. It's all about strategies to gain access to decision makers in corporations and it's very cleverly done, in my estimation. A little more "hardcore" then what I would be comfortable with - but that's why I'm glad I don't call on corporations. My market is more the mom and pop (well especially mom) sort of business owner.
All the best,
Denise Michaels
TFM Network Moderator
ATTN: Women business owners! Don’t miss out on a very important announcement at my Ryze “Testosterone Free Marketing” network Thursday September 2nd at 2:00 pm, Pacific Time. Be there and take your business to the next level.
> Matt Miller wrote:
> Similar to the very good cold call discussion by Steve, Kathy, and Jeff, is it OK to go above the actual customer or users position, if that person has become non-responsive?
>
>In my past life as a supply chain manger, when sales people tried to jump to my boss, I became very irate. Most of the time it would almost guarentee a loss of sale. After all if my boss asked, knowing my job better than my boss, I could provide a million reasons why the salesperson was in left field. Most leaders for right or wrong will listen to their people.
>
>Private Reply to Denise Michaels | | Aug 31, 2004 2:48 pm | | It's WHO not WHAT ... re: Matt: Retention and cold calling | # | 
Craig Elias | | This is a GREAT conversation.
The topic is one that haunts sales professionals.
My 15 years of experience tells me that it's WHO does the calling to the manager of the original contact that matters.
Let me explain. For several years I had the exact same problem. If the contact I had went cold and I went to their manager my original contact got pissed and made sure I did not win the business.
BUT, if I got my CEO to call the CEO of the target customer two things happened:
1) We differentiated ourselves in the eyes of the CEO of the target customer
2) The CEO of the target customer would tell the original contact how impressed they were and now the original contact becomes more responsive and behaves with more integrity and acts in the interest of the organization - instead or their own self interest - because they know the CEO is watching.
In most cases when my CEO called theirs we won the business.
Call my cell phone (866.744.7904) if you want more information.
Regards,
Craig
>> Matt Miller wrote:
>> Similar to the very good cold call discussion by Steve, Kathy, and Jeff, is it OK to go above the actual customer or users position, if that person has become non-responsive?
>>
>>In my past life as a supply chain manger, when sales people tried to jump to my boss, I became very irate. Most of the time it would almost guarentee a loss of sale. After all if my boss asked, knowing my job better than my boss, I could provide a million reasons why the salesperson was in left field. Most leaders for right or wrong will listen to their people.
>>
>> Private Reply to Craig Elias | | Sep 01, 2004 3:13 am | | re: It's WHO not WHAT ... re: Matt: Retention and cold calling | # |
awade aawade | | Yes, I admit Craig and we too have faced the similar situations, some times lost the deal.
But the question arises when one is doing things singale handed. Like a an individual self employed professional who does cold calling for himself/herself, there is no hirarchy with him/her when s/he calls upon the original contact, so that someone else calls upon the bosses of original contact. So in a scenario where single person is supposed to handle, the situation is tricky. How should a single person handle this? One approach is suggested is that they directly tap the top person is customer's hirarchy, and come down from there. But this may not be possible for all products and solutions, as top executives would really be afraid to deal with trivial matters, specially in which they don't have much knowledge, and would not entertain at all.
Any insights here?
Awade
> Craig Elias wrote:
> This is a GREAT conversation.
>
>The topic is one that haunts sales professionals.
>
>My 15 years of experience tells me that it's WHO does the calling to the manager of the original contact that matters.
>
>Let me explain. For several years I had the exact same problem. If the contact I had went cold and I went to their manager my original contact got pissed and made sure I did not win the business.
>
>BUT, if I got my CEO to call the CEO of the target customer two things happened:
>1) We differentiated ourselves in the eyes of the CEO of the target customer
>2) The CEO of the target customer would tell the original contact how impressed they were and now the original contact becomes more responsive and behaves with more integrity and acts in the interest of the organization - instead or their own self interest - because they know the CEO is watching.
>
>In most cases when my CEO called theirs we won the business.
>
>Call my cell phone (866.744.7904) if you want more information.
>
>Regards,
>
>Craig
>
>>> Matt Miller wrote:
>>> Similar to the very good cold call discussion by Steve, Kathy, and Jeff, is it OK to go above the actual customer or users position, if that person has become non-responsive?
>>>
>>>In my past life as a supply chain manger, when sales people tried to jump to my boss, I became very irate. Most of the time it would almost guarentee a loss of sale. After all if my boss asked, knowing my job better than my boss, I could provide a million reasons why the salesperson was in left field. Most leaders for right or wrong will listen to their people.
>>>
>>> Private Reply to awade aawade | | |
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