by Bob
(UK)
How do I get to talk to the decision makers?
Answer
Hi Bob,
very good question.
I guess the first step is to know who the decision makers are.
Often you speak to a buyer and they will tell you that they make all the decisions around the place. Then when it come to order time they need to refer to someone else.
One of the things I did when I sold B2B was to have a wide range of contacts in the company.
Surprisingly, it was often the receptionist or a secretary who would tell me that Mr X is the only one around here who really makes the decisions. They would often help me get to see them too. Of course, this would not work in a company with 1000 employees on site.
In some companies the decision maker would vary depending on what you were selling to them. It's not always the CEO.
You may even be able to talk to a salesperson who successfully sells a non-competing product to them and find out who the decision maker is.
So, find out the decision maker as part of research.
Then getting to the decision maker.
Best route is via a referral.
And if you have a wide range of contacts in the company you should be able to convince one of them to introduce you.
Hope this helps, Greg
Return to Like to Know - free book.