Our 63rd Conversation and the last of 2006 featured sales strategist and author, Jill Konrath. This savvy woman really delivered and detailed for us why it's so difficult to break through and get a job with a big company. But, if you do get your foot in the door, and all you need is one project to prove yourself, big companies are far more lucrative clients and can change the service professional or consultant's business.
The first thing to do is realize that what you sell is irrelevant. What you do is a tool to enable a desired business outcome. To get the attention of the decision maker, you must focus on the value proposition and specific business results for that company. Jill gave several excellent examples to illustrate her process and successes.
Jill's biggest piece of advice: do your homework. Your local business journal can give you a gold mine of information about what's going on in businesses you target.
Also, you will probably need to make 7 to 10 attempts before you get to the person you want to see. And remember, no one cares HOW you do your work. They want to know if it's worth doing. Stay focused on the specific issue that they are stuggling with.
There's so much more, so listen to the program and get Jill's book, Selling to Big Companies. She wrote it for consultants who want to get in the door of big companies. And yet, everything she covered pertains to sales, no matter the size of the company you're going after. The program is 56 minutes.
Conversations with Experts is hosted by The Blog Squad: Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff. If you missed the program, be sure to grab a copy of the audio for only $9.95. You won't regret the investment.
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