Magnus Marketing Blog

Perusing LinkedIN, someone asked whether the dial or the conversation was more important. I say in fact neither if it doesn't get you any further in the sales process! But seriously, first you have to connect to someone in order to have a conversation, then conduct the conversation to uncover the right information with the right questions.

It amazes me how in prospecting so many advocate leaving "benefit" messages and teasers and advocate not telling too much because then your prospect will have a "yes" or "no" and not respond. I ask why?

One of my clients engaged with a major manufacturer and is reselling their service for small to midsize companies. The major manufacturer, who is not doing that well in the market anyway (and whom I invested a few bucks), send over sales support material. I was shocked by the quality or lack thereof of the material designed to "engage the C-Level" prospect. All the material drove for was a meeting - get the meeting and business will come. Actually, after using their script and engaging in a dialogue with a "C" level prospect, I quickly realized that if I set up the "appointment" it would have led nowhere as the "C" level person had no clue about the particular parameters involved in the service - his IT Director, however did. I would have wasted my client's time, his technical support manager, my time, and the "C" level contact following the advice of the manufacturer. The manufacturer provided an "Objection handling" sheet that indicated that one should not be directed to Purchasing - uh, most smaller firms don't HAVE a purchasing manager! And, you wonder why the big boys can't sell to the SMB firms.

In sales, it isn't about "getting the appointment", it is understanding whether there is a need and determining whether YOUR offering (product, service, or self) will fit that particular situation. Much of that qualification can be done upfront without too many steps or too much involvement - a good conversation or two should do it.