There has been a misconception with a lot of business
and salespeople about the importance of the receptionist, secretary,
and administrator. A lot of the time they are your 1st contact at a
company. Even if it is a workshop, and it is the apprentice, they may
be the bosses son or daughter. This person (although a lot of the time
is the junior of the company) holds the keys to the important contacts
in the company. Not just that, they also can tell you quickly with the
right questions, whether or not your product or service will be
suitable. Yes you need to talk to the decision maker, however it is of
high importance you get as much preparatory information about the
company before hand.
Make them your Ally The worst thing you can
do is get on the wrong side of this person. They can make your life a
misery. If they are the junior, then they are probably bossed around by
everyone and may feel not appreciated. You can brighten that person's
day up with some interesting conversation. NCR's founder, John H.
Patterson, in 1884 asked his top sales person, what made him successful
and he said something quite simple, the secret to selling is making a
friend. Let's start this by making a friend at the front line. It sure
makes the call a lot easier next time. Sometimes it may take a few
calls to this person to find out the required info to get through to
the relevant decision maker in the company. However by building a
relationship through courtesy and respect, at the front end, I believe
you can't go wrong. Use a card system on your potential sales and write
down the names of all the people who have answered the phone, what you
talked about in detail, any relevant details that you feel is important
like accent etc. It really helps you pick up from where you left off
from your last call. This idea is not just used for sales; it has been
used for all sorts of organizations and religious groups.
It is
very successfully in drumming up new members. Find out and use there
name. By using a persons name it can really impact on the call. If you
see a name badge use it. Most people love the sound of their own name.
It lets them know you are interested enough to remember.
When
calling back, you can mention the name of the previous person you
talked to. This gives you some credibility. It let's you jump again
straight back in from where you left off with them and if it isn't
them, it gives you a possible chance for the other person to assume
that you know the original person you talked to well. It is a win win
situation.
Making the gatekeeper your ally and gaining there
support and information makes the sales appointment a lot smoother from
start to finish. Especially if you can meet them and keep that rapport
going. if you have to make a second appointment, and you have gained an
ally. Let's hope the decision maker asks them for their opinion.
