How to Reach Out to Decision Makers | Sales Prospecting Skills Training

When making initial contact with the people who make or influence decisions, we have two key tactics to consider before the approach:

(1) Will we make a warm or a cold contact? and

(2) Which decision influencer will we target first?

Warm Calls

When making a first contact, the openness of the prospect will be improved if you are able to make a warm contact. Warm means that the prospect already knows something about you from one of her trusted friends or advisors. It means the prospect’s interest has been warmed up before you meet.

In one of our training workshops, we teach students that a good way to warm up a lead is to ask one of your mutual friends to introduce you and tell the prospect something positive about you. If the friend has a strong advisory relationship with the prospect, all the better. Another way would be to have someone you know inside the company introduce you.

Ask Permission

There are still many prospects where you cannot find a mutual acquaintance to introduce you. You can still warm up the lead with a permission marketing campaign. Seth Godin’s book, Permission Marketing, describes most marketing as “interruption marketing.” Commercials that interrupt your television program, ads that break up the flow of reading your magazine, or the telephone interrupting your evening dinner are all examples of interruption marketing. Godin recommends asking permission to make an offer or promising a reward for the prospect’s response as a more respectful way to build a relation- ship with a prospect before you meet. Godin likens permission marketing to dating—when dating, you make incremental advances toward a relationship.

Multiple Contacts

As you target larger businesses, the decision-making power is not as clear as in smaller units. As the decision making becomes more complex, decision power is spread among more people.

When your prospect is a larger business, you are often better off starting your sales approach with a person who is more accessible or approachable than the CEO. With an approach- able and receptive person, you will be able to gather important information about the business, its problems, and its politics. Building a strong relationship with the receptive insider can lead to a strong introduction to the ultimate decision maker. Armed with valuable information coupled with an insider’s introduction, you will make the time you have with the CEO more valuable.

Conclusion

When possible, start with warm leads. Ask for referrals when they are available. Otherwise, start relationships by asking permission.