Cold calling on a small business
 |
Free Download - Always answer the question truthfully, but never................ By Paul McGouran |
When cold calling on small business, and I mean in person, here is a tip I have found to be most effective. ALWAYS BE LEAVING.
What do I mean by this? Well it goes something like this. Say for example you walk into a small workshop or unit where you can expect the owner to be doing some work. You look like another rep who is looking to talk to *him/her for an hour and tell him how much money you're going to save him, and how much your better is better than the last man's better. He doesn't want it, whatever it is, so he is not listening. He's just looking for the way to make you go away. If only he would give you ten minutes to show him what you've got - you could do so much for this person if only they would let you.
So this is what we do.
Primary objective - make an appointment, when he will see you and listen.
Secondary objective - permission to call again to try and acheive Primary objective.
I have often sold on the spot using these objectives, but only because the client has asked me for more information, and not felt hemmed in.
So how does it work. Your opening phrase and your body language are crucial at this point. When you enter the work area you have your business card or flier held up in front of you. When you approach your target you are facing side on, holding your card in front of you, arm extended, (you are definately not looking to offer a handshake), and you say " I know you're a busy man - can I just leave you a card / flier." When the client takes the card unlike all the other sales people he has had in, you take a step backwards, as if you want to leave, having accomplished your mission (which of course you haven't yet). This prospect is now wondering what you've got - not how do I get rid of him. The prospect feels empowered, not threatened and he likes it. He may well ask you what's it about.
Tell him, "I'll need about 5 Minutes of your time - maybe 10 if you've a load of questions, as most people do - when you're not so busy." If he hasn't already asked you what's it about. he will now. What happens next will of course vary greatly depending on how busy the client is, how relevant your product is, and all the other variables that go into a sale. The prospect may well give you some of his time now. What happens next is up to you, if it normaly takes a couple of hours to sell your product use your 5 mins to engender interest and to arrange and consolidate an appointment.
Nothing is foolproof but this method has worked well for me. If the hostility is high, I have just left my card, and said I'll pop in next time I'm seeing one of my clients here, and hopefully you won't be so busy. Leave, but not in a dejected manner. You may have to do this on a number of occassions, but the client will see you eventually. Oddly enough these usually turn out to be the people who buy. Then never tell you, but they do admire your persistance, as long as you use the above method, and thus are not percieved as a nuisance. I know this from having worked a defined territory, with a limited number of prospects available.
Try to think of sales as a game of chess, so you have an armoury of opening gambits, depending on the situation. If you can start to enjoy it, you will start to win more.
Good Luck and Good Hunting - Paul Blake McGouran.
* I have only used the male gender for ease of writing
Cold calling on a small business - To learn more about this author, visit Paul McGouran's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| Article Tags: |
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Michiel JonkerAs a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Michiel assists businesses in a professional capacity by evaluating the threats to their businesses. He acquired the necessary knowledge, skills, and techniques to minimize a business owner’s risk of business failure and to maximize his chances of high growth and success. He strongly believes that you CAN maximize your chances of business success, by implementing the business solution he has advocated for more than 12 years in your business plan and planning. Michiel has decided to share his experience with business owners by putting almost everything he knows in a business plan and survival guide (compiled in an e-book format) and written as a high growth SMB coaching course for SMB business owners, directors and managers - titled as the “Survival Kit for Small and Medium Businesses - Profit from your Business Risks!” According to Michiel, his goal was to add new techniques to a business owner’s business planning survival kit and instruct him or her in using these in the future - without any help from a consultant! For more information about the benefits of implementing profit protection planning in your business, please visit: http://www.business-around-the-globe.com - Visit Michiel Jonker's Website |
|||
John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
|||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Paul's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 How To Twitter Effectively What’s Wrong With Your Site? Marketing ScoreCard Free SEO Report Maslow For Entrepreneurs |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Marketing Blogs of 2010 | |
 |
Guide To ERP Software
Business Management Software | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||