Company Owners, how do you like sales reps to approach you?

[coobie]

I've been a municipal accounts manager for a heavy equipment company for over a year, no prior sales experience. I've become pretty successful in my position, and the company is now adding a territory on top of my municipal accounts for me to manage for private sales. So now I'll be calling on local guys with construction companies.

I've become accustomed to the ways of getting into a municipality and making friends, but I feel that at the private level it will be a different game. I dont want to just drive up to a guys front door and give him a sales schpeel, I feel that is just white noise that will get lost in his 1000's of other things going on.

Question is, if you own a construction company that buys equipment, how do you like (or dont like) to be approached by sales reps? What have some reps done in the past that worked, what have they done that does not work. Any tips to not get my card thrown away or swept under a rug?

I would say KNOW YOUR PRODUCT you are selling inside and out.To many dip chit sales people who don,t.Get back with customers in a timely manner who have questions on equipment.

 

[RDrancher]

A hand written letter personally addressed to the contact (owner / purchasing manger) introducing yourself with your business card.
Include your catalog.
Avoid email and phone for the first contact.

Follow up with phone calls and cold calls.

I agee with Dusty, although I'm ok with a typed letter and I despise cold calls, follow up or not. I get phone calls all day long from customers that want to give me business, but sales calls get deleted right away. Send me a letter or email and I'll check it out.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

When I was selling B to B into the printing industry in the 90s, I did most of my cold-calling on Friday afternoons when everybody was winding down and schedules had often been met.

 

[Garandman]

Learn about his business.

Call early AM. Or leave a voice mail at 5am.

If someone is trying to sell me technology they have about 15 seconds to explain they understand my business and can save me money or help grow faster.

 

[LiveRoll]

I would expect whomever sales rep. that approaches me, to know their product, and I mean REALLY know it; and to have a general idea of what my business is. Very importantly, if they do not have an answer to my question, to not BS me, but be up front and tell me they aren't sure but they will find out and they WILL get back to me on it. It is all part of building a relationship.
I sold oilfield for many years, both in the field and corporate, and two of the most important words a salesman should know and live by is Under-Promise, and Over-Deliver. If they can get with that program, they will do well, and develop relationships and friendships.

Cheers

Roger

 

[Jim in ICT]

Make your cold calls, and make them short. Explain that you're new to them, but not new to the business. Hand them a card and ask if you might be able to schedule an appointment in the future.
Thirty seconds and you're out of there, or they might have a need and want to visit longer.

 

[roadhunter]

Learn to be good with gals that answer calls and the receptionist. Those are you gatekeepers unless you are calling on smaller "1 truck Johnny" type contractors who operate out of a pickup and cell phone. Watch their jobsites and see if they have any of your brand of equipment. If so an easy offer is to help with parts if they ever have an issue.