One of the most common complaints from sales people is the difficulty of finding and getting in touch with the decision maker. Sales professionals regularly waste their time presenting to the wrong person, being rejected by the wrong person, and/or not being able to meet with the decision maker.
The realm of online business has considerably changed sales, meetings, and networking. In some ways it’s easier, and in other ways it has become more challenging. Your competition is inundating your prospects via all available avenues, so you’ll need to stand out. Luckily for you, you have just what it takes to stand out! Just be yourself; you’re the only person uniquely like you, and that’s how you’re going to stand out.
Become a part of the decision maker’s world. You can do this by joining organizations they are a part of, showing up where they like to go, or you can find out their hobbies and interests to start a conversation with them via LinkedIn and social media. Be unique, be yourself, and be persistent. Connect with them through multiple mediums. For example, use LinkedIn, email, phone calls, social media channels, and also connect with people who know them on all these mediums.
Figure out where these people spend their time and put yourself in their world as long as it aligns for you. Be genuine, and only join what you actually like as well. It is important to find real, authentic similarities and hobbies you can make a point of relatability. Do they like the local college football team and you like it too? Invite them to a game and send the tickets to their office. Figure out who they are, what their interests are; in essence, who they are as people. Find out who these people respect, their mentors, their friends and family if possible, and connect with relevant people to help connect you to your decision maker. Use your new connections’ names to legitimize yourself.
Find out common connections, ask a mutual connection on LinkedIn if they can make a referral, or call to ask them to talk to you. If you can, show up in person. Win over their receptionists and assistants. Value and respect their time by understanding what they do and why they are good at it. I have always found that the more time I invest in a sale, the more likely I am to close the deal. Make them a personal video. Valuetainment on YouTube has some great ideas on how to get to decision makers. The more avenues you take, the better chance you will have at getting through to the right person. Do your research, and be knowledgeable and personable.
Make sure to follow up on a regular basis. Following up only takes a few minutes, so always follow up. My rule of follow up is once a week for a month, then once a month. If I don’t have them joining a meeting after six months of monthly follow up, then I message them or call them twice a year.
I just closed two deals this year (2021) that I was working on in 2017. The first one closed with a competitor in 2019, but the competitor dropped the ball, so in 2020 the customer replied to me that they want to talk about it again. I closed the deal in January 2021. Another one that I worked on in 2017 just stopped responding back in 2018 (they ghosted me), but I kept sending an email every four to six months. They signed my contract in April 2021. Persistence and patience pays off, and sometimes it is a longterm commitment!
Never give up on them unless they set a hard boundary. You already know them, you put in all that work to find them, and you already have a relationship, so don’t let that go. Keep trying.
Like anything, connecting with decision makers takes practice and patience. A lot of practice. Have fun with it and get to know them. Some of my close friends started out as customers. Be uniquely you, and you will figure out what works best for you!
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