Seven Ways to Name the Decision Maker

How many times have you gotten the run-around when calling a new company to reach the decision maker? Either people don't know who the decision maker is, so you're stuck leaving messages and calling people who don't have any buying power, or they're reluctant to give you the correct name, so you have to do a lot of digging to get the right contact info. Today tele-sales expert Wendy Weiss gives us the tips we need to easily reach the decision maker.

The first rule in "Naming Your Prospect" is to ask for a title not an activity. Do not ask for "the person who makes the decision to purchase..." Making the "decision to purchase..." is an activity and may get you a name, however, it will most likely be the name of someone who is involved but not in a decision-making capacity.

A better approach is to figure out what department the decision is likely made in and then find out who is the head of that department. If, for example, you know that the decision to purchase whatever you are selling is made in the Marketing Department ask for the head of the Marketing Department. This could be the senior vice president, or vice president or director. If you are calling small companies the person you want to reach is most likely the Owner.

Once you have identified the appropriate title or titles (there may be variations from company to company):

1. Check the prospect company's web site. This is the easiest way to find your prospect's name. Thanks to the Internet, many companies today list executive and/or senior management on their web sites.

2. Ask the receptionist. Dial the company's main number and ask the front line person who answers the line for the name of the person who has the appropriate title. Be prepared to throw out variations of that title as different companies may use different titles for the same type of position. When you are calling large companies receptionists do not screen calls. That question, "What is this in reference to?" is actually a request for information. Keep suggesting titles until one sounds familiar to that receptionist.

3. Call the Chief Executive Officer. The theory here is that Executive Assistants know everything. Call the CEO's office and ask the Executive Assistant for some help, "I'm wondering if you can help me." Tell the Executive Assistant exactly what you need and she will more than likely point you in the right direction.

4. Randomly change the general switchboard number extensions. If the switchboard number is 5000, call 5001, 5002... until you reach a human being. It won't be the right human being, but that's ok. Once you reach a human being ask that person to help you, "I'm wondering if you can help me." Ask, "Do you have a company directory?" When asked, most people are very happy to help.

5. The made-up name. Sometimes companies will not give out information unless you have a name. In this case, make up a name and then ask for that person. The switchboard operator will tell you there is no one there by that name. You then say, "Oh, (Made up Name) used to be the (Title). Who has taken over for her?" Many times this will work to get you the right name.

6. Ask a sales person. Call the sales department and speak with a sales person. Say, "I'm wondering if you can help me." Sales people will understand and if they can they will help you. Tell the sales person exactly who you are trying to reach. If they do not know the correct name ask, "Do you have a directory handy? Could you look that up for me?"

7. Ask Customer Service. Customer Service is there to help. Call them and ask for help, "I'm wondering if you can help me." Many times Customer Service can give you the information that you require. Again, if the Customer Service representative does not know the correct name ask, "Do you have a directory handy? Could you look that up for me?"

With these seven ways of naming your prospect, finding the decision-maker should never again be an issue.

Wendy Weiss is known as "The Queen of Cold Calling." She's written a bestselling e-book called "101 Cold Calling Tips for Developing New Business in a Downturn." Find out how it can help you sell more by phone here.

Identifying the Decision Maker

With so many people and job titles in an organization, it can be hard to find the decision maker you need to speak with. After all, it could be the VP, the CFO, the Director, the Managing Director, Purchasing, etc. Way too many choices, but it's something you have to keep digging at until you find the right person.

"If you are not speaking with a decision-maker your sales cycle will lengthen and you may run the risk of losing the opportunity altogether," says telesales expert Wendy Weiss.

"Influencers" influence. They do not decide.

Here's the bottom line from Weiss: "If you are not speaking with a decision-maker, you are not speaking with a qualified prospect. Far too many sales representatives spend far too much time courting prospects who can never and will never make a decision."

"One way to ensure that you are always speaking with the decision-maker is to always call the highest-level person that you believe would make the decision," continues Weiss. "That person will either be your correct prospect, or they will know who is and they can point you in the right direction."

Once you've got that prospect on the phone, make sure to ask the following questions. This way you will be certain that you are speaking with the decision-maker.

1. What is your decision-making process?
2. How have you made this decision before?
3. What are the steps in your decision-making process?
4. How long does it take?
5. Who is involved in the decision-making process?
6. Who makes the final decision?
7. Who else will you be speaking with about this decision?
8. After we submit our proposal/bid/quote, what happens next?
9. How long will that take?
10.When do you expect to make a decision?
11.When would you like to begin?

Learn more from cold calling expert Wendy Weiss at www.wendyweiss.com or email her at wendy@wendyweiss.com

Sales Tip: "Aside from you..."

"Every one of us in sales has experienced the horror of discovering that, after making the perfect presentation, handling objections flawlessly and closing the sale magnificently, alas (that's right, "alas") we were talking to the person who was NOT the decision maker," says sales trainer and author Bob Burg.

"In order to ensure to the best of your ability that doesn't ever happen again, make sure the person to whom you are presenting your product or service does in fact have the authority to make the final buying decision," suggests Burg.

"But how do you do that tactfully, gracefully? After all, you can't say, "All right pal, who REALLY is the head honcho here?'"

"Instead, near the beginning of your presentation, simply use the phrase, 'Dave, aside from yourself, who else is involved in the decision-making process?'"

"This way, you've allowed him to feel important and 'save face' while providing you with the decision-maker's name," says Burg. "Now, depending upon your unique situation and circumstances, you can approach the sale correctly."

Bob Burg speaks on "Endless Referrals" and "Positive Persuasion." He is author of "Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales," "Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion" and co-author of "The Go-Giver." Visit Bob at www.burg.com

More Sales Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks

Recently, Jill Konrath of Selling to Big Companies talked about her three biggest sales lessons gleaned from her early days in the School of Hard Knocks. Yesterday we posted her first lesson when she learned how to overcome the fear to make her first cold calls. Today we bring you a lesson she learned from:

The Screaming Assistant

One of the prospects I uncovered while cold-calling was Trussbilt and my main contact was Tinsey, a very articulate woman who told me she was in charge of the copier decision. Shortly after our first meeting, I read a book that said salespeople should only work with the top dogs - not their underlings.

Since my contact was an administrative assistant, I realized I needed to rectify the situation immediately. I called Mr. Big directly and set up a time to meet. Then I prepared like crazy to ensure I did a great job.

Unfortunately, I never had a chance to capitalize on this opportunity. Tinsey came to the lobby to escort her boss' visitor to his office. When she saw me, she demanded to know why I was there.

"I'm here to see Mr. Big," I replied, suddenly not so sure if the tactic I'd taken was appropriate. I was right. She proceeded to yell at me like I've never been yelled at before.

I was appalled. Mortified. And suddenly very light-headed and shaky. I fainted dead away right there in the middle of the lobby.

As you can imagine, I never did business with Tinsey or Trussbilt. But I sure did learn that once you're working with someone it's never appropriate to go around them without their knowledge. They'll get mad. Furious. It's a normal human reaction.

Today, to ensure my ability to work with whomever I want in an account, I always tell prospects, "Usually when I'm working with clients, I need to talk with the VP of Sales, Regional Sales Directors and sometimes even Marketing." Doing it this way prevents the people problems that can derail your sales efforts.

Join us tomorrow for Lesson #3: how to cut the crap.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. Learn more at http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com/

Help the Gatekeeper Out to Reach the Decision-Maker

As someone who has worked as a receptionist, I know how difficult it can be to evaluate whether or not to transfer a call to your boss - especially when you're told "I'm a close, personal friend" or "He's expecting my call, we spoke this morning" (when you really didn't!).

You don't need to resort to lies to get past the gatekeeper - being friendly and having a concise value proposition does wonders! You can also appeal to the receptionist with the following approach from sales trainer and author Andrea Sittig-Rolf:

Receptionist: "ABC Company, how can I direct your call?"

Salesperson: "Hi, my name is Andrea Sittig-Rolf and I'm with Sittig Incorporated. I'm hoping you can help me. I'm looking for the person in your organization who would make a decision regarding sales training. That wouldn't be John Jones, would it?"

Receptionist: "Oh no, that wouldn't be John Jones, that would be Bob Smith."

Salesperson: "Great! Can I talk to Bob, please?"

Receptionist: "Sure, I'll transfer you."

"Believe it or not, most of the time, this technique works and will get you to the person you need to talk to," says Sittig-Rolf. "The idea is that the receptionist doesn't want to bother John Jones, the CEO, with a cold call from a salesperson. It's almost a relief for her to be able to transfer you to Bob Smith, someone below John Jones on the org chart at the company."

Sittig-Rolf continues, "Even if you are unable to speak to Bob Smith during this particular phone call, at least now you have the name of the person you need to talk to for the next time you call."

Andrea Sittig-Rolf is an author, public speaker, and entrepreneur. Her unique sales training program empowers salespeople to schedule appointments with qualified prospects the day of the training, resulting in a pipeline full of new opportunities at the end of the day. Learn more at www.sittiginc.com.