Being Irresistible to Decision-Makers
By Jill Konrath
Getting Grounded Before You Call
Connecting with a real decision-maker can easily be perceived as a "do or die" situation. It's not. They forget about you even before they've hung up. You can try again in another month.
But trying again later is not the point. You want to get in now! That's why you've done your research, created enticing voice mail messages and developed provocative written communications. All the hard work you've done to this point will serve you well when you actually get a person on the line.
You're probably worried, though, about what you can say to convince a corporate decision-maker to meet with you. Right? Let me make this perfectly clear. If you focus on touting your company, products or services, awards or uniqueness, nothing you say will work. That's pitching and decision-makers hate it.
They also despise any tricky, slimy manipulative tricks of the trade that salespeople have used for decades. So relax. You don't have to use any of the icky stuff you detest so much. The moment people feel like they're being manipulated, their defenses mechanisms go up and they move into a protective mode.
Your entire approach needs to be pressure-free and focused on making a difference. You have a valid business reason for calling that can have a positive impact on their operations. ...
What you do is extremely valuable. If you aren't sure of this yet, go back and refocus on understanding your firm's value proposition. When you know the difference you make, you know you've earned the right to talk to corporate decision-makers.
From: Selling To Big Companies
© 2005 Jill Konrath
JLF-024-011133
Connecting with a real decision-maker can easily be perceived as a "do or die" situation. It's not. They forget about you even before they've hung up. You can try again in another month.
But trying again later is not the point. You want to get in now! That's why you've done your research, created enticing voice mail messages and developed provocative written communications. All the hard work you've done to this point will serve you well when you actually get a person on the line.
You're probably worried, though, about what you can say to convince a corporate decision-maker to meet with you. Right? Let me make this perfectly clear. If you focus on touting your company, products or services, awards or uniqueness, nothing you say will work. That's pitching and decision-makers hate it.
They also despise any tricky, slimy manipulative tricks of the trade that salespeople have used for decades. So relax. You don't have to use any of the icky stuff you detest so much. The moment people feel like they're being manipulated, their defenses mechanisms go up and they move into a protective mode.
Your entire approach needs to be pressure-free and focused on making a difference. You have a valid business reason for calling that can have a positive impact on their operations. ...
What you do is extremely valuable. If you aren't sure of this yet, go back and refocus on understanding your firm's value proposition. When you know the difference you make, you know you've earned the right to talk to corporate decision-makers.
From: Selling To Big Companies
© 2005 Jill Konrath
JLF-024-011133
Visit Jill Konrath's Website: http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com
More from Jill Konrath:
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