I have a good friend who was frustrated at his lack of
success when he was cold calling CEOs.
It didn’t seem to matter how many calls he made, he just wasn’t having
success getting them on the phone. He
asked me for some advice, so I was happy to oblige. I shared one idea with him,
and within a week he had spoken with more CEOs than all of his colleagues
combined.
If you have a product or service that can only be sold to
the CEO (like my friend), then this idea can work for you too. It’s so simple that I don’t understand why
everyone doesn’t do it.
It’s all about when you call them. CEOs often come to work early and leave late.
After I passed along this advice to my friend, he started cold-calling at 7:00am,
and ended the day by spending an extra hour in the office and making calls
after 5:00pm. Every single one of the
CEOs that he reached picked-up their phone when he called before and after
hours.
Here’s why: At the close of the business day, the
receptionist puts the phone system on night-ring. With night-ring activated there is a very
high likelihood that the voice mail system will provide an automated greeting
with an option to reach an individual by dialing their first or last name. Punch in the CEO’s name and presto! Your call is connected to his/her desk. No gatekeepers involved!
If the prospect’s phone system doesn’t have a dial-by-name
option, save that call for normal business hours.
This advice is effective for reaching CEOs and just about any senior business executive. They are often the first to show up for work and among the last to leave. And, these folks often spend Saturday morning at the office. Try spending a quiet Saturday morning calling CEOs. You might be surprised how many you reach. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
If you like this blog, then be sure to check out my
books! You can find out more on the
right-hand side of the page. Happy
selling!
