Radio Sales Café

Happy Friday, everyone!

This week's poll question comes from Todd Christen, who asks:

What's the best way of getting in front of a prospect who doesn't respond to seed emails, won't answer calls, frowns on 'solicitors' and employs a Nazi gate keeper?

Looking forward to reading your tips and tricks! 

(To read the strategies previously shared by Todd and by Chris Rolando in Todd's initial discussion thread, please click here.)

Donuts never hurt, and remember, information is power.  Find out more about the Gatekeeper, charm them, e.g. birthdays and anniversary's.  Endear yourselves to them, most others who are knocking on that same door are defeatists, the prospect and the gatekeeper will respect your persistence and attention to detail.  Look at it as a challenge rather than saying to yourself "I am never calling on that person, that's a dead lead..." remember those are usually the ones that end up spending more than what you consider the "good" clients.

Good Morning All...... OK so this is myh first post..... Couple of thoughts here..... Personally i "Love" cold calling and frankly the tougher the prospect the better for me!   Here are a couple of suggestions......1) Maybe get to know the "Gatekeeper", ofter times they are just doing their jobs..... 2) Ask the gatekeeper a bit about the prospect, likes, dislikes etc to gather amunition for future calls. 3) Find out what "Motivates" the gatekeeper and maybe "Spiff" that individual with tickets etc. to get on their good side.  4) If you drop off product informaiton or research on your clients business, this might be helpful and you are seen as a resource person and not a "Solicitor".  5) Maybe start with offering to do some on-air prizing for the client depending on their products; yes you won't get a buy, but you will show them that your audience is their customer 6) On a cold call, I don't take anything in with me other than ONE small folder or a daytimer and I make it clear that all I am seeking is an appointment with the client to find out MORE about their business...... Just a few suggestions

Dave Hughes - Pineridge Broadcasting Inc.

A few years ago when the economy took a dive we found that everyone was going into hidding. So we started a program to see if we could get them to take a few minutes to talk with us. We would deliver a letter that was to be opened by the person in charge. We then would get their business card and tell the gate keeper that we would be giving them a call in a few days. In the letter was $500 of free advertising. all we asked for was few minutes of their time. We were getting about 50% to give us the time. The other 50% never got the letter. we changed our way of delivering the message. Instead of telling them there was $500 worth of free advertising we told the gate keep that it was an important document that the owner/manager needs to read please pass it on we will follow up. This worked better because when we called they put us right through to the person we needed to talk with. We were now getting close to 80% appointments.and yes we still only closed 33%. the others got their $500 worth of advertising and we would get another chance to sit with them. this also got us another 33%. The letter was very professional in content. Good luck

Send them a pizza!

Go to the local pizza place that offers delivery. Order a large Cheese or Pepperoni (the two most likely "favorites" and safe choices) and have it delivered to the decision maker. Instead of the customary pizza sheet of coupons or other "pizza-ganda" on the top of the box, and have them put YOUR customized one sheet on the box when its delivered.  On the sheet say something fun about how you have creative ideas that can deliver customers to their door just like this pizza. Also on this sheet tell them you'll be making a follow-up customer service call at 2:07 pm (or some other odd time) that afternoon to check on the pizza and the service.  It should get you past the gatekeeper, to the decision maker, where you can then ask for a 15 minute appointment where you can visit about those ideas you have to get customers delivered to THEM!

1. Can you find a mutual friend?  If a mutual acquaintance has had positive results with you, that helps.
2. I've shown up with flowers or cookies.  Sometimes it works. 
3. Every few weeks, send an informational piece in a hand-addressed envelope.  Keep it short, but pick topic that you think they’re interested in. (Roy Williams is good, but you want to use different sources.)  Always include your card and a short note.  NO sales pitch yet!  After 3 to 5 mailings, call. 
4. The prospect has to be willing to think about what you say.  Perhaps your time would be better spent elsewhere?

As I mentioned in another column recently, the best thing to do is find out when your decision maker is out in the field.

Do they belong to a Chamber of Commerce? Are they involved in Rotory or Kiwanis? Where do they play golf. Catch them in a social environment, introduce yourself, and promise to call for an appointment and present an idea. 

But remember the old joke, "Contracts signed on a napkin with a swizzle stick are not binding." Find them out in the field as a way of introduction only. I always say, "This isn't the place to talk business. Why don't I come by on Monday?"

Does it take an evening out of your personal time? Yes! But sales it 24/7 isn't it? 

Oh, and one other idea. If you think he's got you on Caller ID, call from your cell or home phone instead. That has worked for me as well.

So what else was in the deal?  Just $500 of free ads or does that require some kind of commitment? I'm intrigued!

What I do is have them on a guest on the radio for no more than 3min. and show them How they can bebefit by advertising the same show 

Some times it is wise to move on,there may be a history you are unaware of regarding your station. That being said ,to get to a hard to reach prospect the first thing that one should do is get the notion out of your head of the term gate keeper.The person that answers the phones job is to connect callers with the right person.Start the conversation with, I need your help, I'm not sure who it is that I need to talk with then ID yourself even if you know who the right person is the question puts the person that answers the phone in their primary mission of helping a caller..Then the question comes, is this about advertising? Make the call be for something other that selling ads.Some of you had the right idea. A community project, a invite to listen to a speaker at a Cof C meeting.Try to find something that the prospect would hear you out about, rather than you hammer him to buy ads. To boil it down, Make a friend first.

 

Hi Rebeccca...  school holidays down under...contributed to this topic with my latest blog...

 

Mike

Thanks, Mike!

 

Here's the link, so everyone can enjoy:  Send Your Client a Door

From Chris Rolando, in the original discussion thread:

From Todd Christen, in the original discussion thread:

LOL. Great ideas! Thanks Chris.

I thought about sending one lottery ticket per day for a week in a plain unmarked envelope. Inside the last envelope I'd include my business card with a note that says,

"Over the week you've received 7 lottery tickets. I guarantee the time you'll spend meeting with me will be more beneficial than the time it's taken you to scratch off 7 lottery tickets and with measurably better results."   

 What do you think?