Prospecting for new business is taking on a subtle change due to what can be called “Warm Calls.” Everyone in sales knows what a “Cold Call” is; but now more salesmen will be learning about “Warm Calls.” I doubt very many Sales Managers will argue the following point, “The number one reason that salesmen fail or fall short of their goals is failure to prospect efficiently.” We can teach sales technique, building relationships, and effective closes; but again, the real key to being a long term success in sales is prospecting effectively
.Now it is true that there have been successful salesmen all over the world that have never heard of “Warm Calls.” But every one of them most likely has developed “Centers of Influence.”(Those individuals that will help them get into see new prospects. They keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities to help their friends out) Typically these “Centers of Influence” are Accountants, Attorneys, Bankers, Business Owners, or Professionals that call on the same people you want to call on. We all try and build these type relationships and cultivate them through lunches, golf, special events, seminars, etc…but the whole system is very informal and typically unstructured.
With today’s privacy issues we have to be very careful in displaying personal information about anyone in the business world on a public or private forum. So when we go have a lunch with a “Center of Influence” we politely ask if he knows anyone that might need our service. We are counting on his memory or present state of mind and we may or may not gain anything from this meeting. Some of us are creative and bring a list of businesses close in proximity or in the same industry to help our “Center of Influence” jog his memory. Know it or not, we just hit on the real sticking point with gaining referrals or leads! We have to get into the heads of these guys to see who they have good relationships with that might benefit our sales.
The new wave of sales professionals is seeing the need to formalize this whole process and grow these “Centers of Influence” to a whole new level. Groups are being formed to stress the importance of business introductions through common relationships. This might sound like an introduction to a sales club, but it is not! It is really an introduction to a tool called a “Business Relationship Database.”
If you have not, you will soon be seeing the growth of “Business Relationship Databases” forming all across the country. Groups of Centers of Influences forming from various professional affiliations sharing who they have relationships with in business. No confidential information needs to be listed, just a name, their company and the fact that you know them. The “Gatekeeper Rule” prevents anyone from their group in calling their contacts unless they come through the author of the record first. Besides, it would not do much good to skip this step, because the opportunity to gain a favorable or “warm introduction” would go away. And with most groups this would result in expulsion from the group!
Now, when we go to lunch with our fellow “Center of Influence” we already know who they have relationships with and we can speak directly about those prospects we would like to be introduced to. Obviously just because our “Center of Influence” knows them, does not mean that they are a prospect for our products or services; but a warm introduction sure does allow us to stay in touch with them, build a relationship, and who knows…..make a sale down the road!
What we are now doing is managing our “Centers of Influence” in a formalized manner. As these groups grow and they will as the shared databases enlarge, our relationships with fellow members grow as well. The natural inclination is that as a result of regular interaction within the database, we better understand what each other does; therefore we are more apt to give referrals! These relationships become stronger from the natural synergy evolving from membership.
Many businesses will see the obvious need to develop their own business relationship database. By hand selecting each member to participate he somewhat controls the quality of the contacts that increase the value of the database. This becomes a win… win situation for both the company’s marketing efforts as well as the recruited members. Each will benefit from their membership as introductions flow back and forth amongst the members.
So yes, prospecting is changing as does most things in this world; but one thing will never change, “the need for good salesmen everywhere!”
