B2B Sales - Best way to spend a day.

pedroeibar1

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pedroeibar1 wrote: »

If you are doing the above, I'd actually get the name of the dept manager and handwrite a note to him, saying you will contact him by phone in a few days. Then I would phone him within a couple of days. Keep the initative, that way you improve your chances considerably.

You can try and get the name, no decent front desk person will give it to you

pedroeibar1

Augeo wrote: »

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You can try and get the name, no decent front desk person will give it to you

That in my experience is extremely rare. Most people are helpful if approached the correct way.

In larger companies front desk folk are specifically instructed not to give names of position holders to cold callers.

In some you won't even get to reception without an appointment, as in you won't get on-site at all.

I'd hazard a guess your experience is dealing with smaller companies with a "Gemma" on reception :pac:

pedroeibar1

Augeo wrote: »

In larger companies front desk folk are specifically instructed not to give names of position holders to cold callers.

In some you won't even get to reception without an appointment, as in you won't get on-site at all.

I'd hazard a guess your experience is dealing with smaller companies with a "Gemma" on reception :pac:

And your 'hazard a guess' is 100% wrong. Furthermore, in your little effort to be clever you totally miss the point of what is being discussed in this thread. But then, yours is not a very thought-through response, is it?

Large companies are the easiest to contact because you can prepare in advance. You can learn about the company/its news/events/personnel/etc. from its website and media reports. You contact them when fully briefed/informed. The notion that anyone can physically cold-call a C-Suite person is an insult to that person’s role and shows the caller’s stupidity and lack of professionalism.

Some randomer turning up at a large company looking to meet a c-suite executive would get the run, and deservedly so. That is not what we are discussing here. We are talking about dropping off promotional material in a larger SME and getting it to the correct individual, not looking for a meeting. Any good salesperson will obtain or confirm the name of the correct person with little fuss or trouble. That is part of the sales job, and what makes a good sales person. Reading what the OP has posted/followed up with, he is up to that game.

And yes, I have been to some places where I required pre-clearance, and a few more where have been escorted to/from a meeting room by security and to many others where my passport was requested on calling and returned on leaving. So have several others who post here, I'd hazard.;)

Augeo

Augeo wrote: »

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You can try and get the name, no decent front desk person will give it to you

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

That in my experience is extremely rare. Most people are helpful if approached the correct way.

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

And your 'hazard a guess' is 100% wrong. Furthermore, in your little effort to be clever you totally miss the point of what is being discussed in this thread. But then, yours is not a very thought-through response, is it?

Large companies are the easiest to contact because you can prepare in advance. You can learn about the company/its news/events/personnel/etc. from its website and media reports. You contact them when fully briefed/informed. The notion that anyone can physically cold-call a C-Suite person is an insult to that person’s role and shows the caller’s stupidity and lack of professionalism.

Some randomer turning up at a large company looking to meet a c-suite executive would get the run, and deservedly so. That is not what we are discussing here. We are talking about dropping off promotional material in a larger SME and getting it to the correct individual, not looking for a meeting. Any good salesperson will obtain or confirm the name of the correct person with little fuss or trouble. That is part of the sales job, and what makes a good sales person. Reading what the OP has posted/followed up with, he is up to that game.

And yes, I have been to some places where I required pre-clearance, and a few more where have been escorted to/from a meeting room by security and to many others where my passport was requested on calling and returned on leaving. So have several others who post here, I'd hazard.;)

You've alluded to getting names of personnel from the front desk.
When I commented on that you mention several things that in no way back up your point about front desk folk being helpful in that regard.

If you want a discussion at least stick to the point, you can pick up your passport on the way out

"I have been to some places where I required pre-clearance" and more where Jemma is on her iphone at the desk.

mrawkward

Every decent salesperson is a bit of a detective, getting a name is hardly rocket science. Even if it is the wrong bod, chances are they will give you the right name and now you have two names in the company. Fall at this little hurdle and you are in the wrong career!

OP's 1 from 11 was great. It is a matter of finding what works for you and your offering and doing more of it!

Gmaximum

mrawkward wrote: »

Every decent salesperson is a bit of a detective, getting a name is hardly rocket science. Even if it is the wrong bod, chances are they will give you the right name and now you have two names in the company. Fall at this little hurdle and you are in the wrong career!

OP's 1 from 11 was great. It is a matter of finding what works for you and your offering and doing more of it!

LinkedIN is probably the easiest way to find the name of the right person particularity for larger prospects where there could be multiple potential contacts in each department

Personally I do pay for a LinkedIN Premium account for the added search capability and I can write it off as an expense anyway