listening

The plight of a salesperson is a tough one. There are physical barriers ranging from receptionists screening calls to Junk or Spam filters blocking emails, and direct mailings that are overlooked.  I don’t purport to have deep insights on how to effectively penetrate the “no solicitations” bubble surrounding many purchase decision-makers, but I do believe that many messages and tactics are off target to say the best, and out of touch, to say the least.

What Did You Just Say To Me?

These are excerpts from three separate push-emails I received today.

1.  “I wanted to send you a quick email to let you know I’ll be taking over your account…”

What account?

2.  “The following article was published this week about (our Brand), here’s the link…”

Why do I care?

3.  “In reviewing your site yesterday, we noticed you had Google Analytics in place…many times the installation is incorrect…call us if you’re interested in achieving better results…”

Are you trying to bait me?

The Real Deal

In the first instance, I have no knowledge of the company and definitely don’t have an account. Not sure what the sender is going to take over, exactly. In the second, I know the company but find their product overpriced and of no greater value than a free tool I use, so knowing about their industry write-up doesn’t interest me. Or impress me.  And I’d think they’d come to realize that based on my exceptional ability to dodge their persistent calls.  And in the third, well I thought it was just creepy  as well as arrogant (yes, I know the site code view is easy to assess; that doesn’t mean that its acceptable to presume an intimate understanding of our business, motivations, or objectives.  Stay outta my stuff unless I invite you!).

While I empathize with the challenges sales professionals routinely experience (more so in our country’s present economic state, and the ensuing competitive environment), I don’t think that warrants these guys a “pass” for poor form, unfamiliarity with our (lack of) prospect history, or adoption of false pretense.

Stop, Look, and Listen

I need these guys to stop, look, and listen.

Stop doing the same ‘ol, same ‘ol.  What has it netted you in the past? What are some risks on persisting?

Look at your data. How many calls are returned or answered? How many emails clicked through?

Listen to the myriad of conversations around you. What does the guy responsible for the email campaigns think? What do the site surveys indicate?

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It

I’ve said it before, consumers are driving the bus. They’re determining their paths, their destinations, the stop routes, their tschotzke’s .  Sales and marketers have to do more than discover a way to skirt the gatekeeper. They have to use all measures of intelligence, insight, and (yes!) ingenuity to define messages that will matter and delivery channels that are authentic to their targets.

It’s not that I don’t ever open an unsolicited email. It’s just that at a glance it has to intrigue me, inform me, engage me.  Without pressing me.

What do you do with sales calls? Blast emails? Brochureware direct mail?  Whose has broken through for you recently, really struck you as a valuable read and worth your time?

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