Lead Generation: 6 Proven Tactics for the First Call
By Larry Prevost
Our office where we do our sales and marketing and training is located in an office complex and we share the vestibule with a women-owned company that distributes mechanical equipment for airplanes.
The two ladies are very friendly and we have a good relationship with them.
That's why I was shocked when I walked in one morning and saw a sign taped to their door that read:
NO SOLICITATIONS!
NO UNAUTHORIZED VISITS, OF ANY KIND!
WE DO NOT GIVE OUT BUSINESS CARDS TO DROP-IN SALES PEOPLE!
Yeah, all of the letters were capitalized.
After the initial shock wore off, I needed to know more. Here was an unprecedented opportunity to ask a business owner why they didn't want to see any more sales people. And I could do it without being perceived as a sales rep--while still being a sales rep.
So, ignoring the sign, I walked in, found the owner, "Bobbie," and, after some initial pleasantries, pointed to the sign and said, "What gives?"
She looked a little embarrassed, knowing full well that I specialize in educating sales reps. So her first statement was, "It's not for you guys." Then she lit up like a search light in the middle of a power surge.
"Some of these guys, they just don't get the message. They drop in unannounced and they just don't care anything about what you're doing. They simply don't care."
"The last guy that was here just wouldn't get the message. This guy is trying to get in and I'm holding back the dog and I've got my foot wedged against the door...any normal person would have left, but this guy is sticking his foot in the door trying to push it open further. It felt like a really bad horror movie."
"And then there's the guy that came in and asked if I had a moment. I told him that I had a meeting that I was about to attend to, and this guy sat down and set up shop. I mean, he just ignored me and made himself at home!"
"And then there's the guy that came in and asked for a business card. I showed him where they were, right at the front of my desk in a holder. And this joker tried to take them all! How many did he really need?"
Next Page: The Horror Stories Continued
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