Sooner or later, we must address the very polite elephant in the room: Permission-based prospecting should be integrated into your sales strategy in 2021 (or ASAP!). Not sure what that means or where to start? Read on!
As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you’re up against a lot. Buyers are more educated and have more power than ever. Your competition is hungry and they are fierce. Overall, your capacity to differentiate yourself, your company and your offers is limited in the prospecting phase of selling.
Still, you’ve worked to build some brand recognition. You’ve sent some engaging emails. Now you want to call or direct message the prospect.
If you’re reaching out via social media, build that rapport first!
In corporate selling, cold calling is an integral piece of a successful selling ecosystem. I advise my corporate sales teams to utilize permission-based selling as a way to stand out from our cold calling competition.
To be sure, my prospects are getting cold calls multiple times a day, every day. Everyone wants a piece of a company’s IT budget. What’s a seller to do?
Firstly, we stand out by acknowledging the buyer’s power overtly. This is within in the first sentence of our discussion:
“Hi Bob, We haven’t met yet. I’m Sarah and calling to share how my company helps save organizations millions of dollars in IT spend. Can I share a little more about how we do that?”
TADA!
I am not spitting an elevator pitch at them. In fact, I’m acknowledging they have the power and control of the conversation. Most people will say ‘Ah sure, I have 3 minutes.’
Now, what you do with those next 3 minutes is critical.
‘So, Bob – my most recent account XYZ was struggling with ABC so I implemented a strategy to reverse this problem and…’
‘Is it worth you and I sharing lunch or a coffee to dive into this further? I’d love to understand if I could provide a similar result to you and ABC business.’
See what I did there?
Permission based prospecting adds legitimacy to you and your organization. You exude confidence and executive presence when you approach prospects in this high-integrity style.
Have you tried this approach before? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments, or share your observations with me on Facebook and Instagram at @SalesCheerleader!
When you’re ready to take your business to the next level, sign up for one on one sales coaching with me here!
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