For years I have advocated that you not actually try to "sell"
sweeps, but rather send out periodic marketing materials so that people
know who you are and what you can offer, but that you should always wait
for them to contact you, and not the other way around.
Sweep customers tend not to appreciate, nor tolerate a TSCM professional
who tries to either push them or scare them into having a sweep
performed. Instead, the customer is ready when the customer is ready, and
no sooner. The harder the TSCM'er pushes the less respect they have for
you.
Once the customer contacts you to perform a sweep, and expresses interest
in a specific location or proposed project you must be careful not to
move too quickly to perform the sweep but let the customer close the sale
of the sweep, and decide timing not you. This requires great restraint on
your part, but it will result in the customer respecting you
more.
It is also important that you only deal with people at the top of the
corporate food chain, and not mid level managers, or low level folks in
the company for the sweep to send your marketing materials. Rather,
identify five or six people in the corporate infrastructure who wield the
greatest power, and find out who their gate-keepers are. The more
powerful he person, the more gate-keeps you can expect them to have, and
you have to handle these gate-keepers with just as much respect as you
would the executive themselves.
Also, (and this is very important) all executives have a lieutenant and
alternate for their position. Learn who these people are, and learn who
would fill their positions in the even of their promotion or departure
form the company. You need to know who the officers are in the company,
or at a minimum who the top five executives, plus their gatekeepers and
the alternates for the executives.
A good rule is that if they have their picture in the annual report, or
they speak from the podium during the annual shareholders meeting they
are someone who you absolutely must pay attention to in your marketing
efforts.
The most effective method of marketing your services to this group of
customers is a simple one page letter of introduction and two business
cards, sent once a year. But, stagger these letters so that they do not
all arrive at the same time, but rather weeks or even months
apart.
-jma
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James M.
Atkinson
Phone: (978) 546-3803
Granite Island
Group
Fax: (978) 546-9467
127 Eastern Avenue
#291
Web:
http://www.tscm.com/
Gloucester, MA
01931-8008
E-mail:
mailto:jm..._at_tscm.com
Linked In Profile:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmatkinson
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No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the
enemy until it is ripe for execution. - Machiavelli, The Prince,
1521
Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:17 CST