Our company likes to surprise publishers and reps. When they think they are going to take one of us to lunch, we reverse roles and have lunch for everyone brought in, and then turn the event into an open discussion on issues. It makes for good conversation, sometimes heated, but always stimulating about where we are going in the marketing communications world of B2B in those glory days of print. Even though the world is digital now, one of the things that happened bears repeating.
At one of those “surprise parties,” we challenged our guests with this question: What are your biggest challenges in selling these days? Here was their list:
- Getting in the Door
- Talking to a Human
- Voicemail…caller ID
- The Human Element
- Understanding our “new products.” We are more than a print magazine.
- Brand recognition
- Differentiation
That was just 10 years ago! But doesn’t that list sound like one you hear today?
People say nothing changes, and that’s the point. Back then, we had a great discussion, but I wanted to write about the first problem they outlined because of the particular importance it has in B2B. It’s not only getting in the door that’s the problem. It’s identifying which door is the right door and then what will open it. In today’s world, finding the person who can pull the trigger (see Getting People to Pull the Trigger) is difficult, if not impossible. But, that person is behind a door somewhere. It’s about spotting – not necessarily selling.
For example, in a recent assignment, we were tasked with finding the person behind the right door within a specific industry sector. Our base to begin the hunt was data drawn from one the premier data providers in the country for this type of information – data we are familiar with and data which is 40% to 50% inaccurate from the get-go simply because of the rapid changes in that industry.
In other words, even if you start with a data dump, you have to standardize and verify that data in your quest, which will produce a 40% difference in what your picture looked like when you started. That inaccuracy has never bothered us – or other people who subscribe to it – because it is just the way it is. People change jobs – frequently. And projects change hands – just as frequently. You have to work the data – any data – to be successful.
In three weeks we had not only identified the targets, we got half of them to invite the client sales people in for a chat. In other words, we got the door open to the right person. We did not see “getting in the door” to be a problem like our publisher/sales rep guests. The question is why? The answer is in what you are selling.
What Are You Selling?
Getting in the door is really a function of what you are selling. You might think you aren’t really selling anything, that you are some kind of sales “consultant,” but everyone is in sales (though for some reason, people think it is a bad in this age of the customer being in control). But think of it: you need a seller if you’re going to be a buyer. And, to get in the buyer’s door, you need only understand the buyer himself or herself who is behind the door, what their needs are, and determine if you have what they want. They may not want what you are selling, but that doesn’t mean they won’ buy it! It’s about needs, not wants.
We have tied “selling” to “helping.” Our entire position in finding the people behind the right doors is understanding the value proposition of what we are selling – which is always a solution to a problem. Now, not everyone has the problem we are qualified for, but those who do are the right person we are looking for. Then, it is simply a matter of your style of knocking on the door. In reality, then, you’re looking for a specific type of problem.
Of course, it isn’t that easy. But on the other hand, it isn’t that hard. One of our clients asked us for the script we use in our pursuit of opening doors. We provided it, and then received the call back asking us where the rest of it was. We told the client that there was no more, and of course, the client didn’t believe us. There was no way we were experiencing the success rate we were based on this simple eight-question script.
But it was true: one of our secrets is that we go off the script as soon as possible and engage in conversation. This is an enormous leap in your approach to knocking on doors, because it requires a thorough understanding of the problem and solution, and of being spontaneous – a trait you might think is everywhere in this age of social media. But, true spontaneity isn’t everywhere. And if you look carefully, you will see how rare it is. For example, how many of these have you received lately:
Hi, I’m Amy from UHC, following up on your recent request! There are new medical insurance choices made for business owners. Are you interested in a quote? Blah, blah…
More than likely, that’s AI today. No wonder doors aren’t being opened!
When I was a teacher, I was terrible my first year because I didn’t have that trait. Spontaneity is connected with being yourself – how you view yourself – something many people don’t know how to do because of a lack of introspection. I learned quickly that you can’t fool kids (I taught sophomores). You either have yourself together (know yourself) with your goals in mind of what you want to teach, or they will know you don’t and you’re dead. They have an uncanny sense in detecting weakness, and not knowing yourself in teaching is a huge weakness.
I became a master teacher of underachievers for seven years. Through practice, I learned how to be myself – and “natural” or “spontaneous.” I learned, simply, not to be someone else.
Bottom Line
If time is money, which it is, then what the list of problems in that session we had revolved around is this: people have a limited amount of time people to do anything anymore. That was true then, and it’s true today. You have to make every minute count – every effort, including the “dead ends.”
The Sale Begins When the Customer Says “No” is an out-of print book by Elmer Leterman, one of the great sales people of all time. In it, he outlines some of the most successful attitudes a sales person requires. Almost all of them are based on spontaneity.
Unfortunately, what Elmer said gets lost in today’s time-constrained world. Many people think it’s all about the “yes.”
For example, Peter Woottman says that, “In the old days, it used to be, “The Sale Begins When the Customer Says . . . No,” but that’s a totally inappropriate attitude to embrace in today’s customer-driven business environment.” Unfortunately, Woottman probably hasn’t read Leterman’s book, as evidenced by his comment. Leterman was all about the customer and nothing BUT the customer! He used the “no” as the way to understand the customer more, in order to hone his approach to “helping” that customer understand the value proposition of what he was selling. There are always “no’s” in the path to sales and understanding that helps you open doors. One of the things I learned from Elmer was this:
“Whether the product being sold is something as intangible as an insurance plan or something else…the psychology of closing varies little. In the body of the interview, the sale has been promoted by a combination of solid logical arguments and by the building up of confidence in you and in everything you represent – your company, your service, your integrity….but logic alone is not enough. I have always proceeded on the theory that emotions simulate action; logic stimulates only thought. Digging deep into the wallet is a step that requires an emotional stimulus.”
The next time you knock and no one answers, first ask yourself if it’s the right door to begin with. If it is, knock, again. If no one answers, start banging on it (just kidding). Just don’t give up if you believe it’s the right door! Or, maybe go in through the window! 🙂
For more conversation, or to discuss your business, contact me. Or call 847-358-4848. We’ll help open those doors!