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Purple Squirrel  'Top Dog' SALES STRATEGY By LESLIE BUTERIN In light of the downward move of our economy most of the sales organizations in the pack are scared spit-less. I hate living in fear. Bet you don't like it much either. What if you could earn lots more, in considerably less time, and feel mightily successful even when your competitors are so scared they're spazzing out (haven't used that phrase since high school), chasing their tails in circles, muttering, "If buyers aren't buying we aren't going to have a business?" Wouldn't your ears perk up and your tail wag with anticipation at the thought of spending your selling time in front of nothing but qualified prospects with unlimited check writing privileges and the ability to say yes to your solutions/services; with folks who are committed to doing business with you and only you? Could you sit up and shake hands with prospects who categorically remove obstacles for your smooth implementation, significantly reduce frustrations, value rock solid business relationships, and sign off on multi-million-dollar contracts with you? Yes, even in a recession. Well, it can happen and does happen with Top Dog Selling Strategists. These "Big Dog" players are top-dollar sales professionals who thrive regardless of economic conditions. They understand that a down economy gives them the lead dog's edge-hunger for bigger contracts, better contracts, and faster contracts. With laser-like focus they mercilessly scrutinize, prioritize and chew to shreds their least profitable practices. And identify ways to leverage their time for more dollars. What do they do during this down economy to keep business strong? Make the change to Top Dog selling. They faithfully call on the presidents' offices of their existing clients and of prospect companies. These Big Dogs understand there is no other single business decision like this change in selling strategy that will increase sales revenues geometrically. The benefits are astounding. A recent article in this publication reported that IT staffing and services firms are hiring additional sales staff to generate revenues. Most likely those companies justify their investment in salaries for more salespeople by thinking these positions pay for them selves in terms of revenues generated. That's one approach. How about trying this out: Support your existing sales force with increasingly productive sales strategies. Leverage their profitability with a transition to Top Dog selling. Tell them that a sales call below the office of the president no longer counts as a sales call. Generously reward them financially as they schedule appointments with Top Dogs. I talked with one executive who is pleading with her sales force to make 15 prospecting calls a week. Her sales pros sheepishly turn in their sales reports documenting a maximum of three or four calls a week to low-level prospects. Truth is, this small sample is reflective of the majority of sales professionals throughout this country. Sadly, sales professionals continue to use methods they were taught in the beginning of their careers-even though these habits bring in less-than-top-dollar results. Steadfastly holding onto the familiar in spite of reason at this point is, for some, a desperate retreat to the safe and comfortable. For others, it's pure ignorance. If you are currently doing business with levels below the office of the president of your client companies make a profitable change. Get in front of the president. Many an inexperienced pup will protest this idea and insist on being more inclusive, saying with their noses up in the air, "My prospects are the people in charge of hiring, the CIO, or some other 'C-level' person." Listen up, pups. Big Dogs don't even bother to sniff at that kind of reasoning. Here's why: When you call Top Dogs first, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. First of all, you may get in to see the Top Dog-and where else would you rather be than in front of the buck-stops-here person with more decision-making authority (that is, the ability to say yes to you) than any other person in the company? Second, if a call to the president results in a referral to a "C-level" person, your positioning is stronger than it would have been without that call. What started out as a cold call has quickly turned to a warm introduction from the President of the CIO's very own company. As you call the CIO you can honestly say, "Your president's office said you were the one to handle this call." A far more powerful opening line than, "Hello, my name is J. Doe with ABC Company." Don't you agree? Business to business numbers since the early 1950's have been 2 out of 10-meaning a sales pro who calls 10 prospects will get 2 appointments. It's a numbers game. When you add Top Dog selling strategies to the mix, you see a staggering change. Top Dog Selling Strategists get as many as eight appointments out of calls to 10 Top Dogs. That's a skills game. These folks change their point of entry of new prospecting calls to consistently calling on the Top Dogs, presidents of companies. They learn how to control and direct the 90 seconds of telephone time they have with the Top Dog or his assistant. They use benefit statements and open-ended, close-ended, and alternative-of-choice questions to their advantage. "What?" a handful of you say as you recoil in horror. "You want me to go over the heads of the people I'm working with now to meet with the president?" Nay Sayers are fearful of offending the lower-level people with whom they are currently doing business by going over their heads. No one is suggesting that you sabotage your current lower-level relationship. I am telling you straight up that the path to a level of selling that you never dare dream of is available to those who leave the comfort of the familiar for the potential of Top Dog selling. Those Top Dog sales professionals learn to rule fear so it doesn't have a chance to rule them to a less productive end. Fear tells you that more information is needed before moving forward. Most sales pros, when given the words to say, will calm down enough to go over the heads of their existing client relationship and meet with those in the land of the Top Dog-where the big bucks are. Tell your current lower-level contacts that your new business directive calls for meeting with Top Dogs. And that you'll tell the president how pleasurable and profitable your working relationship has been. Important points to note:
Look at your time and talents through the experienced eyes of the successful Big Dogs who have gone before you. Apply their wisdom to your business, move to the head of the pack, and enjoy Big Dog ways as your sales go through the woof.
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Leslie Buterin, founder Top Dog
Consulting |