Radio Sales Café

What do you think is the best way to handle on a cold call, "well if you could email some information over we'll look at it and get back to you?" On walk in cold calls, "do you have any information you could leave behind? I'll give it to the owner and if she's interested, she'll call you."

Or worse on the appointment, the decision maker at the last minute decides to have you meet with a manager (who you know is incapable of moving things forward... it's not their job) and says, "I'm going to have you meet with my manager and she'll give me all the information, ok?" Seeing this happen a LOT!

We know that "leaving information behind" = email gets deleted or one sheet goes in the trash. What are effective responses, ESPECIALLY for gatekeepers?

"I could, but it wouldn't really be beneficial. I need just a few minutes of their time to discuss how we can help them. After all, you wouldn't expect a  to work on a car (I work with a lot of mechanics, change example as necessary)  without asking a few questions. When would be a good time to follow up?"

and sometimes, you really can't get past that on the first call. Leave your information, move on, and come back later. 

Thanks, Tyler! What kind of information would you recommend leaving? Case studies?

I will leave a one-sheeter on an upcoming promotion or a holiday package that applies to the prospect if I need to. I think they are more likely to get read then Media Kits or case studies. The way I see it is that it isn't about the information that you leave - thats probably going in the trash anyway. It's about showing respect for their "process" and building the relationship with the gatekeeper that will let you move a little closer to the meeting you need. By giving them what they want now they will be more likely to give you what you want later. Make sure you don't fall into the trap of always dropping off a package.

When would be a good time to follow up? Tomorrow? Next week? Monday? Also, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, make sure the information is relevant to their business. If they are a bank, it's "I have an opening for a sponsorship on our financial report that I think would be a perfect way to highlight your business loan department" If they are a car dealership, find a good drive time spot for them or a live call-in. etc, etc. If you go in with a generic here's our station, here's our rates, call me, you'll get pushed aside.

Lynn's idea is right on target. Make sure the leave behind is specific to that business so they can get excited about it.

About the gatekeeper. Be sure to be a bright spot in their day (they often get little respect). They can be your best friend or worst enemy. I've had gatekeepers make sure the decision maker took my call every time just because I was super nice to them.   

If you are getting brushed to the side to a gate keeper or if there is the slightest hint of them being busy, you are suddenly not there to sell them on anything but getting an appointment.  This should be the first goal of a cold call anyway.  The time this business person normally talks business with another business professional is during an appointment.  Don't be a salesman, be a business professional in your field.  This will set you apart from so many that just walk through the door and want them to drop what they are doing.  In turn your potential customer may feel you are not respecting their time and their job. 

Hey Lynn,

 

So would you recommend just coming in prepared with a note about a program that's a specific fit just in case the gatekeeper brushes me off?

I just get nervous that the gatekeeper won't even deliver my materials or even if it does get to the decision maker... it goes into a pile of stuff that doesn't get looked at. 

I am new to sales and am still learning to work the phones. I have been given the "please send me some information by email" response lately and asked an experienced sales person if they had a scripted email to send. Cumulus has all sorts of scripts, seed letters and one-sheeters available.

I am still way too passive on the phone, in person I do better because I will act like I am leaving, but will still talk to them. I picked that up from a Chris Rolando video, like Columbo would do. So I want to get more appointments by working the phone. I also am all about seed letters and seed emails, but when I call, I really want to secure an appointment. I am getting better at finding the true objection on the phone, but I can improve on this area.

It was explained to me that the asking to be emailed is just them saying no. So today while working the phone, I was speaking to a lawyer who in the past has bought the back cover of the phone book, bought magnets on the phone book, and spends major money on his generic web site. I have sent him a seed letter and I talked to him this past October (one of my first calls to an attorney). He told me to call him after the first of the year. Well it is the first of the year, so of course he says to email him something.

I told him that normally when people say to send them an email they are just trying to be polite and not say no. I told him I would rather he told me he was not interested in growing his business than waste both of our time by me sending him an email that he wouldn't read. I understood he was busy and I am busy too, let's find a date and time in the future that we can meet for 15 minutes next week or the week after.

Now, I wish I could tell you he looked at his appointment book and gave me a time. He didn't. I wish I could tell you I didn't waste my time sending him an email. I did. He did tell me that he really needed to get with his secretary that handled his appointments and he was not wasting my time. So who knows. I do know that another attorney I am working on never makes his own appointments, so we shall see. I am real proud of myself for being more assertive. I am not sure if it will work, but what did I lose? I liked my email.

Here is part of what I wrote: "Thanks for taking my call this afternoon. I know the amount of sales calls can get a bit excessive. I also know that you are very busy. My goal is to make you even more busy. I am not even sure if that is what you want. Maybe a better goal is to make you even more money."

So who knows. I also promised to call him again. More like threatened to call him again.

I liked a lot of the elements you mentioned. Try and make your in person persona the same on the phone. Two key points: If you're not solving a problem the client has they have little desire to meet with you. Second, establish yourself as a professional just like the lawyer or any other client. Make them understand YOUR time is valuable also and you will not be available at the drop of a hat. 

After doing some additional thinking and researching I believe that it's very appropriate to say something like...

 

1. "I certainly could. But usually what I find is that when someone says they'd like me to send some information, what they're really saying is I don't want some pushy sales person trying to sell me something. Please be straight with me, is that what you're saying? You are worried your time will be wasted?"

 

2. My experience is that information like this, regardless of the content, usually gets buried under a stack of paper and goes without being read, which doesn't do either one of us any good. I promise we will keep the conversation to no more than twenty minutes. Would Tuesday or Thursday work better for you?"

 

And if you want to add some humor...

 

3. I'd be happy to send some information over. But just so you know, it comes in a package that's 6'2, 190 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

 

The fact is, you can't solve their problem until you uncover it. And you just won't do that until you're in a face-to-face CNA with the prospect. You can go into that meeting better prepared by doing some industry and company research. But in my 2 years of selling, "sending information over" has never lead to an appointment and I've asked my sales manager to give me an example of a time when he "send something" or "left something behind" for the decision maker and an appointment came of it.... has never happened. Because "send some information" is ALWAYS a tactic to avoid the appointment.

 

I think it's important that as sales people, we don't allow ourselves to waste time because for us, time is money. So John, I like your answer of when people say send information over, they're trying to be polite and not say no and you would rather him be straight with you. And his secretary has NO skin in the game when it comes to getting you in there... it's not her checkbook, it's not her business.

 

Your follow up was almost apologetic for the fact that you're making a sales call. I would revise it to "Thank you for taking my call this afternoon. I realize that you are very time starved, and I appreciate you spending the five minutes with me on the phone to answer my questions. As I told you when we spoke, our brand has been very successful at collaborating with practices just like yours to increase clientele. I look forward to being able to sit down with you and discuss how we can work together to increase your clientele as well!"

 

Don't apologize for being a salesman and calling on him. It just validates in the prospects mind that you're just another grimy salesman who's after his money, you know it, but maybe you actually have a conscience and feel bad about it.... when 1.) the fact is you have a GREAT product to offer him and you don't apologize for that, 2.) you are quite time starved yourself and you were doing HIM a favor by reaching out and offering your expertise.

I think I'll have to keep tabs on the RCS activity feed for your posts, Alex. This discussion alone has been quite an eye opener. Thanks!

This has been a great discussion and I really like a lot of the suggestions here. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is finding that way to make a "cold" call a "luke-warm" call. I am definitely not a fan of cold calls, even though I  know they are necessary, especially to a new rep. But, as I have read in countless books, repeated in so many different ways, "People like to buy from people they like and people they know." You don't have to be bosom buddies, just find a connection. Join a Chamber committee, Kiwanas Club, Downtown Association, anything that gets you involved in the community and gives you an opportunity to meet decision makers. As for the Gate Keepers. Smile, Smile, Smile. On the phone or in person. And remember that they probably know more about your prospects business than he/she does. Ask questions about the business, get their opinions. If you have a good idea, they WILL pass it along. If you have a GREAT idea, they will sell it for you.