Home
>
Small Business
>
Small Business Savvy: Reaching Key Big Business Decision Makers

Small Business Savvy: Reaching Key Big Business Decision Makers

As a solo entrepreneur or small business owner, one of our key challenges can be reaching key decision makers in larger companies. Getting to the right person who can seal the deal can be a frustrating experience, especially if you don't have a game plan. Here are three ways to connect with the right people.

Cold Calling

In this age of voice mail, reaching prospects by phone has become more difficult. Cold calling will most likely reap stronger results if you're trying to reach small business owners, where connecting with the owner by phone is more likely, but with persistence you can reach corporate managers as well. There are several important steps you need to take to get results from cold calling-

Make sure you write a phone script that, in 30 seconds, will convey what you do and what benefit similar customers have gained from your service. This is essential. You're phone script must answer the prospect's question, "what's in it for me"?

Practice your phone script until it feels natural and fits your communication style.

Make sure it conveys your excitement about your offering.

When you get the right person on the phone, tell them you have some exciting information for them and would they be able to give you 30 seconds to share it.

End your script with an intriguing piece of information, specific product results that are impressive, or a question that will make them want to know more.

Be persistent. Keep calling at different times of the day until you get the prospect on the phone. Leaving a message is rarely successful, but if you can't ever catch the person on the phone, you can always give it a try.

When you get a prospect on the phone, ask their permission to have 30 seconds of their time. When the 30 seconds are up, ask their permission to continue.

Also, script how you'll respond to the different possible responses you're likely to receive from the prospect. For example, if the prospect says they're not sure they want to meet with you, what will you say?

If the prospect allows you to continue past 30 seconds, tell them you'll be in their area on a certain day and ask if you could meet with them for 20 minutes to continue the conversation.

Remember that if you're calling targeted prospects, it's just a numbers game. Call enough people and you'll make some appointments. Make enough appointments and you'll close some sales. Calculating the call to appointments to sales ratio is important in determining if cold calling is working for you.

Warm Calling

You probably have a database of customers and a network of other professionals. Put a simple request out to your database telling them that you have some exciting information, pertinent articles or new products or services and you need to connect with, for example, operations managers in mid-level companies. Ask if anyone knows someone that they could connect you with that fits that category. Offer them a reward, gift certificate or coupon if you feel they need an incentive. If possible, see if they will arrange an introduction by calling or e-mailing this person to let them know about you. Then contact these "warm" leads. They'll be much more likely to respond to your communication. To make this work, you must be very clear about what type of person you need to meet. Saying that you need to meet corporate managers, for example, is much too broad. Those in your database also need to feel that you will not make them look bad or take advantage of their contact, so you need to be clear about why you want to meet these types of people.

Focused Networking

If you were an operations or mid-level manager, where would you hang out in your free time? What business and social organizations would you join? What speakers or topics would you motivate you to attend a meeting?

If you can answer these questions, you can plan to attend the same meetings or socialize in the same places. There are many swim and golf clubs, for example, that are frequented by corporate executives. Even telling people at church about what you do and who you'd like to meet can yield results. Every industry has it's own professional organization and most of them welcome guests.

Volunteer to work on a committee.

Offer to speak to one of these groups on a relevant topic.

Offer gift certificates to be used in a drawing at an organizational meeting.

Focused networking means using your networking time in places where you can connect with your target customer or others who can connect you with your target customer. Before you attend even one focused networking meeting, be sure to have a one or two sentence description of what you do and what problems you solve. Make it intriguing, so people want to know more. Is focused networking a quick fix? Nope. It takes time to build relationships. But once you get started, if you gain a few happy customers in the group, chances are they'll be a ripple effect and you'll find your business being recommended to others regularly. In addition, you may connect with some people who can become sources for your warm calling campaign.

As a small business owner, it's important to develop a network of other business owners so you can support each other and share contacts. Consider developing a six month strategy that includes all of these approaches. Be very, very specific about the type of prospect you're looking for. Track your results so you learn how your time is best spent. I guarantee that six months from now you'll be looking at some very positive results!

__________

Janis Pettit, Team Member of solo-e.com and President of solo-e.com, specializes in improving profit and productivity through small business marketing and growth consulting, business coaching, workshops and tele-classes. As well as owning 4 successful businesses over the last 18 years, Janis hosted her own TV business talk show. Her articles have been published locally and internationally. Janis can be reached at 919-562-2280. _________

***** Find more articles like this at solo-e.com ? Keeping Solo Entrepreneurs Juiced in Business and in Life. Our team of Solo Entrepreneurs are comprised of small business experts who support others in finding business success with the flexibility and freedom to have a life, too. Network with other freelancers, self-employed and Solo Entrepreneurs in our forums, enjoy our articles and newsletter, and find other online training opportunities. *****

shuttle from O'Hare Bingham .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Attackers use caller ID spoofing and AI voices to steal money. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides seven ways to protect yourself.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the Genesis GV60 MIV, an electric rescue EV with snow tracks for extreme missions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you ensure a smooth online experience with a reliable, secure home network setup.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about Vollebak’s Shielding Suit, which blocks EM radiation, infrared and tracking for privacy.

Even Apple products are vulnerable to cybercriminals, and a new report suggests the owners of Mac products will have to be more vigilant this year.

An inflatable six-person tiny house from a firm called 2001 looks like a space station with its inflatable dome that is transportable and eco-friendly.

Scams cost Americans an estimated $159 billion every year and average about $3,500 in losses per victim. The CyberGuy has advice to protect yourself.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Zeekr and Waymo are joining forces for the world's first mass-produced autonomous vehicle, combining an electric vehicle with self-driving technology.

A humanoid robot training center has opened in Shanghai, a big step in China's efforts to become a global leader in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Security experts have discovered that hackers are targeting apps on the App Store to spread malware that steals information from saved screenshots.

A new luxury SUV combines military-inspired design and high-end luxury transportation and includes two military-grade gas masks to protect against chemical warfare.

80% of stalking victims are tracked using tech. GPS trackers, like AirTags, are among the most popular ways to do it. Here's how to protect yourself.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how to protect yourself against artificial intelligence-fueled romance scams, which have become the most common type of fraud in 2025.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the steps to declutter text messages on a Mac or iPad. Apple offers ways to do this more efficiently.

Here's how to take control of the algorithms on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok if your social media feeds aren't showing you content you want to see.

Beware of iCloud scams using urgent messages. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you spot the red flags to protect yourself.

Travel abroad worry-free with these top translation apps for travelers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson highlights some favorites.

The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope was going through preliminary tests in September 2023 when it captured images of an Einstein Ring in a nearby galaxy.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says hackers are using Microsoft Teams for phishing, vishing and quishing via social engineering.

Red light camera tickets: Not liable to ID the driver; some are fishing expeditions. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you fight back against tricky fake tickets.

The apps collecting the most data about you are among the most widely used. Kurt the CyberGuy takes a look at 20 of these apps and how you can protect personal information.

AST SpaceMobile of Texas is developing the world's first global cellular broadband network that can connect directly to your smartphone without special equipment.

Community Health Center, a Connecticut-based healthcare provider, has disclosed a recent data breach affecting over 1 million people in the U.S.