The Prospecting Call (Flexible)

When you're prospecting, you typically talk to a gatekeeper or a decision maker (DM).  

I. THE GATEKEEPER. 

7 out of 10 times, you will get stuck talking to a gatekeeper. You'll be told the DM isn't there. Or that the owner refuses to talk to salespeople. Or maybe nothing-- the gatekeeper will just be a mean ol' bag of hair.

Are you planning to fight or rationalize with a gatekeeper? Don't waste your breath. There are only two things you can do. 1) Make friends with the gatekeeper (or lead qualification), or 2) Push past the gatekeeper. Both are equally effective -- it just depends on your style :)

1) Lead Qualification. TO MAKE FRIENDS, say this:

"Hi! My name is _____ with xxxxxx Benefits.

"We're a new web-based benefits broker. In fact, we work with (NAME OF ANOTHER DECISION-MAKER (DM)) down the street over at (NAME OF LOCAL RELATED COMPANY).

"Is (NAME OF DECISION MAKER (DM)) still overseeing personnel and benefits?"

"I know it's still early in the year to revisit employee benefits, but I'd like to get you guys introduced to our platform."

"Right now, we're the only web-based benefits platform that offers a zero-cost option."

"There are probably ways we can help your staff and even save you guys some money."


2) TO PUSH PAST, say this:

"Hi, can I speak to (NAME OF DM) please?"

Naturally, they will say "What's this regarding?" Be confident and say:

"Sure. My name's (FIRST NAME & LAST NAME) and this is in reference to (NAME OF LOCAL RELATED COMPANY). Thank you."

Say nothing else. Act like you're the m----f---kin' president of this planet. If they push back, just say it's a personal matter regarding (Name of Local Related Company)... and to make it fun, you can even say your first & last name really slowly in a slightly patronizing way.


II. THE DECISION MAKER. 

When you get to a Decision Maker (DM), you've already won. Congratulations! You now have a 1 in 10 chance of landing an appointment. Your goal is to give your 15-second pitch as smoothly, confidently, and happily as you can. Say this:

"Hi, (NAME OF DM), my name's _____________ with Everwell Benefits. 

"I work with (NAME OF ANOTHER DM) over at (NAME OF A LOCAL RELATED COMPANY)."

"The reason I'm calling is to SET AN APPOINTMENT."

"We've got a new web-based benefits platform that helped (NAME OF ANOTHER DM) save a good amount of money. In fact, we've even got a zero-cost option -- we're the only company on the market that does that."

"I know it may be early in the year to revisit your plan design, but I'd like to get you introduced to our platform and see if we might make a good fit for you. There are probably a number of ways we can save you some money."  

"I'd just like to see if we'd even make a good fit... now or in the future. It should take about 10, or maybe 12 minutes to go over everything."

"Are you available (SPECIFIC DAY) afternoon at, say, 3 o'clock?"

 

>>  SOME OPTIONAL THINGS TO USE:

    "We've spent the last five years evaluating the top companies in the (NAME OF INDUSTRY) community, and we've identified the six biggest trends that are devastating small businesses."

    "We have a briefing that we're sharing with a few prospective clients that meet our profile." 

    "This includes an overview of our zero-cost tools that, right now, about 21% of businesses are using."

    "We've got an option that's free, paperless, contract-free and requires no long-term commitment."

    "You may have heard of TriNet, Insperity, Zenefits, Hixme, or a few other of our competitors. We're still the only one that offers a zero-cost option."

 

If you get a no, be happily, playfully persistent and give options.)

"What would work better for you? Is Tuesday good or is Wednesday better?"
 
"Are mornings good or are afternoons better?"
 
"Hey, I can bring you a cup of coffee! Do ya take it with cream and sugar, or black?"

To learn how to HANDLE OBJECTIONS, click here.