True story. What might you do to schedule an appointment with a CEO/President when all your calling efforts to that target get you nothing? You can find a “Hail Mary” strategy which proved effective below.
The following is an excerpt from my book, ESSENTIALS OF SETTING SALES APPOINTMENTS: How to gain access to top decision makers at your most desired future accounts (and your competition’s best clients.)
Consider using this “Hail Mary” strategy described in the book…
What does the most effective fax look like? First, a little background.
I first started using faxes about five years into doing appointment setting projects.
The first project I utilized fax was for a mid-sized consulting firm which was looking to meet with CEO/President’s of companies with a minimum of $100 million in revenue in certain industries. Their goal was to obtain consulting projects worth $500,000.00 or more. Three faxes ultimately helped generate results on that project. One of those faxes can be found at the end of this chapter.
As you can see that fax is pretty straight forward. It was used with the idea that it could warm my suspect up prior to a conversation. Very few targets called back as a result of this fax, although a couple of very hot prospects did.
This fax was also used as a bridge with the executive assistant to the CEO/President. After I had exhausted my calling efforts and all efforts to get the target to pick up the phone had failed, I would use this fax as part of a “Hail Mary” strategy.
I would call the executive assistant to Mr./Ms./Mrs. Big and say “This is Scott
Channell from XYZ group. We are experts in ________. Corporations such 1, 2 and 3 have selected us. We have achieved results like ___________. I was just calling to determine if Mr./Ms./Mrs. Big would like to review some strategies or options to accomplish ______. Can you help me?” The knee jerk response was always “Let me take your name and number.”
To which I replied “Well, why don’t I send you a one page fax describing what we do and the results we produce. I’ll call you back in a couple of days to see if
Mr./Ms./Mrs. Big would like to meet or receive any information. That way I won’t keep calling and be on your back.”
The relieved voice on the other end of the line (who now did not have to take a message) would reply “OK” and I would confirm the fax number and fax away.
A couple of days later I call the executive assistant back and get a “yes”, “no” or instructions to contact someone else in the organization. The fax allowed me to control the message that the top executive received. It worked very well. (By the way, when the CEO/President refers you to someone, you are almost guaranteed entry into that organization.)
Best wishes for prospecting success,
Scott Channell
copyright 2004 Scott Channell
