When you're prospecting, you typically talk to a gatekeeper or a decision maker (DM).
I. THE GATEKEEPER.
7 out of 10 times, you will get stuck talking to a gatekeeper. You'll be told the DM isn't there. Or that the owner refuses to talk to salespeople. Or maybe nothing-- the gatekeeper will just be a mean ol' bag of hair.
Are you planning to fight or rationalize with a gatekeeper? Don't waste your breath. There are only two things you can do. 1) Make friends with the gatekeeper, or 2) Push past the gatekeeper. Both are equally effective -- it just depends on your style :)
1) TO MAKE FRIENDS, say this:
"Hi there! My name is _____ and I work with (NAME OF ANOTHER DECISION-MAKER (DM)) down the street over at (NAME OF LOCAL RELATED COMPANY)."
"Is (NAME OF DECISION MAKER (DM)) still in charge of personnel and benefits?"
"I'm gonna be out that way visiting (NAME OF LOCAL RELATED COMPANY) on Thursday. Would you mind if I dropped something off for (NAME OF DM)?"
"What's your name?"
Say thank you and hang up. Now you have a warm prospect to canvas!
2) TO PUSH PAST, say this:
"Hi, this is (your full name), can I speak to (NAME OF DM) please?"
Naturally, they will say "What's this regarding?" Be confident and say:
"Sure. My name's __________ and this is in reference to (NAME OF LOCAL RELATED COMPANY). Thank you."
Say nothing else. Act like you're the m----f---kin' president of this planet. If they push back, just say it's a personal matter regarding (Name of Local Related Company).
II. THE DECISION MAKER.
When you get to a Decision Maker (DM), you've already won. Congratulations! You now have a 1 in 10 chance of landing an appointment. Your goal is to give your 15-second pitch as smoothly, confidently, and happily as you can. Say this:
"Hi, (NAME OF DM), my name's _____________. I work with (NAME OF ANOTHER DM) down the street over at (NAME OF LOCAL RELATED COMPANY)."
"The reason I'm calling is to SET AN APPOINTMENT."
"I work with the small business division of AFLAC."
"Through our zero-cost benefit expansion programs, we were able to help (NAME OF ANOTHER DM) lower his worker's comp and take advantage of a tax break he wasn't even aware of."
"Now, I'll be checking-in with (NAME OF ANOTHER DM) next week, and I'd love to drop by, say hello, and maybe show you how he's using our program to help his business."
"It should take about 12, or maybe 14 minutes to go over everything, if you have the time."
"Are you available (SPECIFIC DAY) afternoon at, say, 3 o'clock?"
>> SOME OPTIONAL THINGS TO USE:
"We've spent the last five years evaluating the top companies in the (NAME OF INDUSTRY) community, and we've identified the six biggest trends that are devastating small businesses."
"We have a briefing that we're sharing with a few prospective clients that meet our profile."
"This includes an overview of our zero-cost tools that, right now, about 21% of businesses are using."
"What would work better for you? Is Tuesday good or is Wednesday better?"
"Are mornings good or are afternoons better?"
"Hey, I can bring you a cup of coffee! Do ya take it with cream and sugar, or black?"
To learn how to HANDLE OBJECTIONS, click here.
