Opening key accounts

[Cma87]

Good afternoon all,

I am looking for some experience and advice if at all possible.

Our business has some key accounts that spend anywhere from 100k to just under 500k. I am looking to add a couple more in the next 12 to 18 months but it's been a while since I did this kind of treading the boards prospecting as my role over the years has gone from selling to management to procurement to everything under the role of a director!

At the moment I am calling companies that either have a procurement dept but nobody answers the phone or I get put through to a buyer but it goes to voicemail (with a full inbox) or I am asked to send an email to a generic mailbox and its forwarded on. All of these seem like hitting a brick wall, but not to be deterred I would like to know if anyone has any tips and hints.

I want to send a copy of our catalogue and then put these people into some sort of national/major account sales funnel but I don't just want to send a catalogue blind.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Opening thoughts/questions

Have you used LinkedIn to connect and gather information?

Does their website or SM give any insight?

Are there really communities where they might gather?

 

[Cma87]

Opening thoughts/questions

Have you used LinkedIn to connect and gather information?

Does their website or SM give any insight?

Are there really communities where they might gather?

Hi Mark. Thanks for taking the time to answer my q's.

Yes, I did try sales navigator a couple of years ago so perhaps I will try that again.

Some of the websites actually have procurement dept telephone numbers but nobody answers the phone and I have tried the numbers over longer periods to see if it was a one-day occurrence.

Regarding communities, possibly again on Linkedin.

I just wonder if the way to do it is just unsolicited catalogues and the odd sample here and there although I am not sure if that is a strategy that may annoy people.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Hi Mark. Thanks for taking the time to answer my q's.

Yes, I did try sales navigator a couple of years ago so perhaps I will try that again.

Some of the websites actually have procurement dept telephone numbers but nobody answers the phone and I have tried the numbers over longer periods to see if it was a one-day occurrence.

Regarding communities, possibly again on Linkedin.

I just wonder if the way to do it is just unsolicited catalogues and the odd sample here and there although I am not sure if that is a strategy that may annoy people.

I'd be more concerned about wasting the marketing budget than annoying people, but I truth both are really down to how interesting/relevant your product us to that individual at that time

 

[Cma87]

I'd be more concerned about wasting the marketing budget than annoying people, but I truth both are really down to how interesting/relevant your product us to that individual at that time

Good point, thanks Mark.