lesser of two evils?

[Jon236]

We all know that cold calls can be a pain in the neck, and that unsolicited email is also frowned upon. But by which method do you prefer first contact to be made?

Obviously at some stage before a business relationship is formed there will be a period when any contact is deemed 'cold', so how do you go about breaking the ice?

Would you be adverse to an email or phone call out of the blue, if the product was highly targetted to your business?

I know its horses for courses and it depends on the product, but which methods do you find work best for directly targetting potential clients?

 

[David Earle]

I don't like phonecalls. The way I see it, my phone is for customer and supplier enquiries, nothing else. Sales calls on the phone need attention straight away, and that's not in line with the way I prioritize my workload. Dealing with customers and supplier issues comes first, everything else goes in the queue to be dealt with when time allows. That's why I prefer email.

 

[Jon236]

I don't like phonecalls. The way I see it, my phone is for customer and supplier enquiries, nothing else. Sales calls on the phone need attention straight away, and that's not in line with the way I prioritize my workload. Dealing with customers and supplier issues comes first, everything else goes in the queue to be dealt with when time allows. That's why I prefer email.

See, that is my attitude to it too. I'd much rather have someone pitching to me via email, rather than calling me up and being pushy down the phone. However I'm not sure if email is the most effective as it can be ignored.

Obviously tshirts is more business to consumer, and they've actively gone into your shop, but business to business seems a little trickier to get an 'in'. What contact approach towards your business breaks the ice most effectively?

 

[thecyclingartist]

I would say email IF you have at least had the decency to do the research and make sure 1) the business you're emailing seems to have a need for the product and 2) that you email the correct person in the organisation. This on the basis that you say you're looking to break into B2B.

Tina.

 

[Jon236]

I would say email IF you have at least had the decency to do the research and make sure 1) the business you're emailing seems to have a need for the product and 2) that you email the correct person in the organisation. This on the basis that you say you're looking to break into B2B.

Tina.

That was the general idea Tina. I wasn't going to email McDonalds and offer them screwdrivers or anything like that. (the product isn't screwdrivers btw).

How do all you business owners feel about getting a generic email from a company you don't know, but you may well have a need for their products? Would you prefer an email to be completely personalised? Or for an initial contact, is generic suitable?

 

[David Earle]

Obviously tshirts is more business to consumer, and they've actively gone into your shop, but business to business seems a little trickier to get an 'in'. What contact approach towards your business breaks the ice most effectively?

I get a good mix of business and non-business customers, to be honest. I don't mind in-person sales calls but only when I'm not in the middle of serving customers or fulfilling an order (i.e printing t-shirts). Anything but phonecalls, really.

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

I HATE cold calls and will never take them. If its a product/service I might use I do take notice of letters.

 

[CraigieDD]

How do all you business owners feel about getting a generic email from a company you don't know, but you may well have a need for their products? Would you prefer an email to be completely personalised? Or for an initial contact, is generic suitable?

For e-mail it's all in the subject line. It's the gatekeeper of e-mail marketing - after the spam filter that is.

So check you spam score before you send it out and go read the various reports on creating an engaging subject line.

 

[3trades]

What you are all saying is correct and in an ideal world it would be wonderful if it was actually that simple.

From my perspecitve, the suggestions given so far will not give much benefit to the OP or are necessarily the best ways he should go about it, simply because the OP will not get anything done in a timely fashion that will also benefit his business.

Clearly, the seller has (possibly an unknown) has put complete control of the situation into the hands of the prospect, straight of the bat, you unfortunately deminish your percieved value and someone they should not be doing business with. Your not worth it and easily forgotten. buyers only close business they do not want.

There is a fine line between appreciating that the potential client is busy, and being persistant without coming across as needy or desperate. What you, as clients say you prefer or rather what is being stated above as to what is prefered, is not what you will really respond to.

I say this from working in an international sales role, althought the approach may differ from culture to culture, between cold or warm prospect, an American will respond to the same things as someone from Zimbabwe. We are all human with predictable behaviours, after enough calls, past conversations become a blur and former patterns of interaction start to emerge.

so this is what you do:

You pick up the phone and call the prospect.
They will be busy or in a meeting (they did answer the phone), or palm you off with some viable objection. No worries, sell your sales call before you start selling, get an appointment, and go from there, follow up with an email confirming the apointment. then follow through with your pre planned sales script.

if they give you S%^t or in anyway make you feel less important than them, give it back, dont be afraid to p!$$ them off, or tell them they are not as busy as you, dont be afraid to lose them. if they get angry or you get any form of emotional reaction from them, this is great, they will likely stay on the phone to argue and debate. You have bought yourself more time and you now have a relationship, albeit a negative one. This is prefered than being nice and palmed off. Now from here, you better have something of value to say and turn it around, the swing in emotions will make you golden, then you will be in.

when you start selling, you focus first on attraction/creating spark for your proposed plan or solution to their need. Get them excited on their fears and greed by asking disturbing questions or ones of elations for what your product / service could actually do for them.

they will start to open up and give you signs of interest, they will talk more, ask questions, maybe donate more information than was actually required.

This is where you move to making them conformable, dont start by trying to gain rapport, this is a trap.

then close, ask for the business if you have to.

Do what gets the job done.

 

[Jon236]

I HATE cold calls and will never take them. If its a product/service I might use I do take notice of letters.

Now that's an interesting one Nicola, I guess in the digital age, going back to paper based communications could help a message to get seen more easily. Would you expect to find something glossy and colourful as part of a sales letter (brochure, flyer etc) or do you find just a good old fashioned letter headed sales letter can make you take notice?

 

[Jon236]

For e-mail it's all in the subject line. It's the gatekeeper of e-mail marketing - after the spam filter that is.

So check you spam score before you send it out and go read the various reports on creating an engaging subject line.

absolutely agree with you there Craig, and this is something I've been experimenting with

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

Now that's an interesting one Nicola, I guess in the digital age, going back to paper based communications could help a message to get seen more easily. Would you expect to find something glossy and colourful as part of a sales letter (brochure, flyer etc) or do you find just a good old fashioned letter headed sales letter can make you take notice?

My view is a letter gives me choice to read it if and when I want to. A cold call is a real intrusion.

I personally dont think a glossy brochure is essential just a well presented, well written, polite and to the point letter is fine.

 

[Jon236]

What you are all saying is correct and in an ideal world it would be wonderful if it was actually that simple.

From my perspecitve, the suggestions given so far will not give much benefit to the OP or are necessarily the best ways he should go about it, simply because the OP will not get anything done in a timely fashion that will also benefit his business.

Clearly, the seller has (possibly an unknown) has put complete control of the situation into the hands of the prospect, straight of the bat, you unfortunately deminish your percieved value and someone they should not be doing business with. Your not worth it and easily forgotten. buyers only close business they do not want.

There is a fine line between appreciating that the potential client is busy, and being persistant without coming across as needy or desperate. What you, as clients say you prefer or rather what is being stated above as to what is prefered, is not what you will really respond to.

I say this from working in an international sales role, althought the approach may differ from culture to culture, between cold or warm prospect, an American will respond to the same things as someone from Zimbabwe. We are all human with predictable behaviours, after enough calls, past conversations become a blur and former patterns of interaction start to emerge.

so this is what you do:

You pick up the phone and call the prospect.
They will be busy or in a meeting (they did answer the phone), or palm you off with some viable objection. No worries, sell your sales call before you start selling, get an appointment, and go from there, follow up with an email confirming the apointment. then follow through with your pre planned sales script.

if they give you S%^t or in anyway make you feel less important than them, give it back, dont be afraid to p!$$ them off, or tell them they are not as busy as you, dont be afraid to lose them. if they get angry or you get any form of emotional reaction from them, this is great, they will likely stay on the phone to argue and debate. You have bought yourself more time and you now have a relationship, albeit a negative one. This is prefered than being nice and palmed off. Now from here, you better have something of value to say and turn it around, the swing in emotions will make you golden, then you will be in.

when you start selling, you focus first on attraction/creating spark for your proposed plan or solution to their need. Get them excited on their fears and greed by asking disturbing questions or ones of elations for what your product / service could actually do for them.

they will start to open up and give you signs of interest, they will talk more, ask questions, maybe donate more information than was actually required.

This is where you move to making them conformable, dont start by trying to gain rapport, this is a trap.

then close, ask for the business if you have to.

Do what gets the job done.

Thanks for taking the time to write such an indepth response. I can definitely tell you've come from a sales background! I like the bit at the end "do what gets the job done", very pragmatic indeed!