I am starting a new blog series to dig into the 10 ways to get past gatekeepers when calling on the phone.
Here’s the first one:
Call and ask for the Sales Department.
Talking with salespeople can be an excellent approach. It’s amazing how one salesperson will be willing to help another salesperson.
When asking for assistance, be sure to offer to help them in finding potential leads and contacts.
Each time I share this technique with salespeople during a training session or even a major presentation, I’m always met with numerous people saying the idea is pure genius. Let’s not get carried away! It’s a good idea, but genius it’s not!
Reaching out to the sales department is nothing more than using your resources to your advantage. Sales people are always willing to help. It’s why they’re in sales, and it’s why you’re in sales.
When you ask to be connected with the sales department, you will almost always reach the most junior person available and this is just the person you want to speak with.
The most junior salesperson is going to be the one most desperate in search of leads and business. With you calling, they will see the call as a way to help someone and in so doing land a potential lead.
The junior person is going to be far more willing to help you find the right person to contact in their company than if you were to contact the 30-year veteran. The junior person will even be much more likely to connect you directly with the person you’re looking for, because of their own need to help people as a way to get leads they can use.
Take care of your new sales connection by asking them the type of prospect or customer they’re looking for and be serious about being willing to help them. You never know the lead you provide to them may in turn open up still another lead back to you.
Even if the salesperson can’t or won’t connect you with the person you’re looking for, you should be able to minimally gain some critical insights about the company. This will help you when you do reach the right contact.
Copyright 2015, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
