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The Sales Lead Sherpa: How to Find Your Decision Maker
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| Posted By :
2008-08-18 09:47:05 |
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During lead generation asking for the right person creates on target sales leads.
One group of people, the Sherpas, have a lock on guiding explorers and adventurers up the slopes of Mount Everest. To the Sherpas, the mountain is not just holy ground, it is worshiped as a god itself. They live in such close connection with Everest, that they know the mountain like they know their own homes, or their families. It is this connection, not just the geographic proximity that makes them such sought after guides.As a sales person, if you want to find your decision maker quickly, you need to find a lead generation Sherpa of your own. Asking the right person inside the company can really help, if you can find someone who is knowledgeable, personable and willing to usher you through the morass of corporate red tape and help you slip past the usual gatekeepers.
Here's how you find your Sherpa--let's assume you want to know the name of the IT director (or the equivalent in the company in question). First, call the company and ask to be transferred in to the IT department. Once someone in IT picks up ask for the person you are looking for by phrasing your question in a manner that defines their position and better targets your specific product or service: "Who is in charge of software development?"At the very least, you will get a name, and often your "Sherpa" will offer to transfer you.Ask for the person who makes this sort of decision, and not some "Title" who may or may not be able to help you. This is a simple way to find your decision maker and can eliminate your contacting the wrong person. Further more, you now have a contact name inside the company and can say simply that "Jan Johnson referred me to you in regards to [your offering]." This beats getting transferred from department to department, hoping to find the right person.
Be sure to keep in mind that your guide, like the Sherpa, is going to consider her company “sacred ground.” While your guide may be exceedingly helpful, she isn’t on your side. The main concern is what is good for her company. If you approach your lead generation contacts from the standpoint that you can help the company be more competitive, more efficient, save money (or whatever), then you should be fine. However, if you come to the table with a “sales at any cost” attitude and your “Sherpa” gets burned in the process, it is a stigma that you will have trouble getting rid of not only within that company, but among anyone in her contact list with whom she might share the account of her misaligned trust.
That warning aside, as long as you keep everything above water, your guide can help you navigate what could otherwise be a time-consuming maze of corporate bureaucracy. Don't try to do everything yourself. Seek out someone familiar with the landscape to guide you to the right place. You'll save time and you won't be frustrated when you finally reach your decision maker. |
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