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Getting Face Time In Tough Times

By Joseph Guertin
Joseph Guertin & Associates

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Want to get more, quality appointments with those hard-to-reach decision-makers? There's no silver bullet method, but there are specific steps you can take to greatly improve your success.

At any given time, our customers are dealing with up to three major issues. (There are more, of course, but three that dominate their daily thoughts.) Issues like cutting costs, boosting productivity, keeping the boss happy, personal problems, and so forth. Whatever the issue, if you can't help, they're not interested.

But, if you've identified them as high-value prospects, here are some steps that can help get you in the door:

Uncover current issues
Do some digging. Scour the business news, their web site, local events. What's happening at their business, their area or their industry? Talk to their associates or employees. These can point to hot topics that can be included in your reason for calling. Now, rather than making what we call a 'blank call,' with no specific content, you can address a more specific need (eg: "....we've helped with new product roll-outs and I know you're introducing three new lines this fall.")

Get introduced
No 'strategy' can beat getting introduced by a mutual contact. Who do they know that you know, too? In business or service groups? Chances are your connection is right there. Get to know people, and (stealing from Covey here) expand your 'circle of influence." Social networking tools, like LinkedIn, are making this more effective than ever.

I'll cover more on LinkedIn, and other step-by-step strategies, in the coming weeks.

*in telephone sales, the goal is the conversation, but the steps are very much the same.

Revised: 07/07/2009 - Article Viewed 313 Times

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Biography

Joe Guertin is president of Joseph Guertin & Associates, a speaking, training and consulting firm specializing in helping businesses grow their sales and their people. From more than 24 years of outside sales and business ownership, he brings personal experience and fresh strategies for success, and his humorous stories and experiences

Prove that he's 'been there.' Joe is the author of more than 100 sales-boosting articles, plus a monthly ezine, "Monday Morning Madness."

Joe's central theme, Streetfighter Selling, not only educates, it challenges. He specializes in new revenue-building strategies, helping today's salespeople boost their bottom line sales in spite of an unstable economy.

Contact Information

Joseph Guertin
Joseph Guertin & Associates
joe@joeguertin.com

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