Marketing 362 – Week 2 Know Thyself, Questions, Objections and the Gatekeeper with Duane Weaver

Outline  Know Thyself (to be covered in seminar) True Colours Overview Working with other colours  Open and Closed-Ended Questioning  Managing the Gatekeeper  Handling Objections

Open and Closed Ended- Questioning  Closed Ended Questions: Encourages Yes or No answers  Can you think of a few?  Open Ended Questions: Usually uses the “5 Ws” and sometimes How: Who?Where? What?Why? When?HOW?

Open and Closed Ended- Questioning  Quick Exercise 1.Think of a product or service you would like to sell and… Take 2 minutes to write an open ended question you could use when greeting a customer for the first time to learn more about their needs… 2.Next, turn to a person next to you and ask each other your question (observe the response)…provide feedback regarding the question used (Is it effective? Why/why not?)

Managing the Gatekeeper (Getting to know VITO)  What is a VITO? Very Important Top Officer Titles?  CEO  President  Founder  Chairman of the Board

 Why Vito: “…salespeople spend a lot of time worrying about how to get our foot in the door. [sic] Usually we’re pretty good at it, [sic] but sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves whether or not the doorway we’re sticking our foot into is the right one!” Managing the Gatekeeper (Getting to know VITO)

 Three Groups of VITOs: Brand New Accounts (key focus and workload) – VITO shortens cycle In-process Opportunities (grid-lock sets in to a long process – VITO unlocks the secret information bottle) Existing Customers – solidifying your relationship by knowing the “highest up” Managing the Gatekeeper (Getting to know VITO)

 VITO pays attention to things that add value to VITO’s day  FIND some way that you can convey the important message that YOU CAN ADD VALUE  LOOK absolutely, utterly different (not your wardrobe, your personal commitment!) Managing the Gatekeeper (Add value to VITOs Day)

 Change Your Focus: STOP BEING a “salesperson” START THINKING like a “businessperson” BE a “problem solver” THINK LIKE A VITO - Focus on issues that affect VITO’s bottom line (the gold) Managing the Gatekeeper (Add value to VITOs Day)

 The GOLD – CEO SPEAK: 1.increase market share % 2.earnings per share increase by 1-2%+ 3.employee morale issues resolved 4.profit increase in $1millions 5.beat the competition 6.cost containment/reduction in % improvement or raw dollars (profit gains).  ALL in ALL you should be able to demonstrate leverage within a short period of time by taking the risk of spending precious time with you. YOU MUST do this in less than 3 minutes. THEN DELIVER on it and LISTEN intently. Managing the Gatekeeper (Add value to VITOs Day)

 Two types of GATEKEEPERS: RECEPTIONIST or FRONTLINE person:  All calls to VITO’s organization VITO’s own personal secretary  DO NOT CONFUSE with standard secretary  OFTEN THEE 2 nd MOST IMPORTANT person in the company  It is a tactical mistake to confuse VITO’s personal secretary with the standard secretary: Why? Managing the Gatekeeper (How to get to VITO - GATEKEEPERS)

 Dealing with the STANDARD gatekeeper: Do not talk down (put yourself in their situation)  They are keeping track of all the company’s phone traffic and that is hard work  Time is short (precious)  Some do’s and don’ts in the book (next slide) Managing the Gatekeeper (How to get to VITO - GATEKEEPERS)

 Never ask for VITO directly (looking for personal secretary)  When pressed do not get flustered  Don’t Lie  Using a Global Hook  Don’t Identify your product or service  Avoid sending information (always go in person)  Avoid leaving messages (get VITOs fax number) Managing the Gatekeeper (How to get to VITO - GATEKEEPERS)

 Deal with VITO’s secretary as if they were VITO themselves  Ask them what “They think of it…” not what VITO thought.  RECOVERY: Fax – send a “WHILE YOU WERE OUT” memo (the little pink slip) Letter – copy of VITO letter attached to Fax Managing the Gatekeeper Connecting with the Executive Suite

HANDLING OBJECTIONS  Now that you have VITO, how do you handle objections? Let’s see Next week’s seminar we will practice

THANK YOU!