Selling to Big Companies

by
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2005-12-01
Publisher(s): Kaplan Test Prep
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Summary

Struggling to Get YourFoot in the Door of Big Companies? Setting up meetings with corporate decision makers has never been harder. It's almost impossible to get them to pick up the phone. They never return your calls. And if you do happen to catch them, they blow you off right away. It's time to stop making endless cold calls or waiting for the phone to ring. In today's crazy marketplace, new sales strategies are needed to penetrate these big accounts. Discover how to: Target accounts where you have the highest likelihood of success. Find the names of prospects who can use your offering. Create breakthough value propositions that capture their attention. Develop an effective, multi-faceted account-entry campaign. Overcome obstacles and objections that derail your sale efforts. Position yourself as an invaluable resource, not a product pusher. Have powerful initial sales meetings that build unstoppable momentum. Differentiate yourself from other sellers. Use these sure-fire strategies to crack into big accounts, shrink your sales cycle and close more business. Check out the Account Entry Toolkit for ideas on how to apply this process to your own unique business.

Author Biography

Jill Konrath is an expert in complex sales strategies. Her web site www.sellingtobigcompanies.com is a popular resource for sellers seeking contracts in the corporate market. She publishes one of the industry’s top sales blogs, as well as a newsletter with thousands of subscribers around the world. An in-demand speaker and workshop presenter, Jill is frequently quoted in news media nationwide.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
PART ONE ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE
Why Nobody Calls You Back
3(6)
The Overwhelming Corporate Mystique
4(1)
Sail into the ``Perfect Storm''
5(1)
Stop Sounding Like a Self-Serving Salesperson
6(1)
Crack the Corporate Code
7(1)
Key Points
8(1)
Doing Business With Big(Ger) Companies
9(10)
The Ecstasy of Corporate Clients
10(1)
The Agony of Corporate Clients
10(1)
Break Big Companies into Bite-Sized Chunks
11(2)
Employ a Foot-in-the-Door Sales Strategy
13(4)
Key Points
17(2)
Understand Corporate Decision Makers
19(10)
The World of Corporate Decision Makers
20(2)
They Haven't Got Time for the Pain
22(1)
Know Your Biggest Competitors
23(1)
Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
24(3)
Key Points
27(2)
It's All About Making a Difference
29(12)
The New Model for Sales Success
30(2)
You're a Real Differentiator
32(1)
What Decision Makers Want from You
33(3)
Embrace the New Sales Paradigm
36(2)
Key Points
38(3)
PART TWO BUILD THE FOUNDATION
Targeting: It's Not a Numbers Game
41(10)
Select Your Future Customers
42(1)
Define the Demographics
43(2)
Scope Out the Psychographics
45(2)
Evaluate the Enabling Conditions
47(1)
Name That Niche
48(2)
Key Points
50(1)
Is Your Value Proposition Strong Enough?
51(12)
Why Elevator Speeches and Unique Selling Propositions Are Both Worthless
52(1)
Weak Value Propositions Are Epidemic
53(2)
Describe Tangible, Measurable Business Outcomes
55(4)
The Irresistible Attraction of Powerful Value Propositions
59(1)
How to Use Your Value Proposition
60(1)
Key Points
61(2)
Strengthen Your Value Proposition
63(12)
Find the Power of Your Value Proposition
64(3)
Capitalize on Your Collective Wisdom
67(1)
What if You Don't Have Metrics?
68(4)
Test Your Value Proposition
72(1)
Key Points
73(2)
Knowing Enough to Get In
75(12)
Dig Up the Dirt
76(3)
Tap into Online Resources
79(2)
Get Creative to Get the Scoop
81(2)
Watch for Triggering Events
83(1)
Key Points
84(3)
Leverage Your Network
87(12)
Why Most Networking Is a Waste of Time
88(1)
Build Your Networking Foundation
89(3)
Maximize Your Business Connections
92(1)
Create Opportunities with Strategic Alliances
93(3)
Key Points
96(3)
PART THREE LAUNCH THE CAMPAIGN
Identify Key Decision Makers
99(10)
Define the Elusive Decision Maker
100(3)
Piggyback Off the Names You Uncover
103(2)
Employ Internet Strategies to Identify Decision Makers
105(2)
Key Points
107(2)
Stop Waiting for Decision Makers to Call You Back
109(10)
Why You Need an Account Entry Campaign
110(1)
Break Through the Marketing Clutter
111(2)
Pack Your Campaign Tool Kit
113(2)
Implement Your Account Entry Campaign
115(2)
Key Points
117(2)
Create Enticing Voice Mail Messages
119(10)
Toss Out the Trite and Traditional
120(1)
What's Enticing to Corporate Decision Makers?
120(2)
Anatomy of an Effective Voice Mail Message
122(3)
Pull It All Together
125(2)
Key Points
127(2)
Get Ready for Prime Time
129(10)
Fine-Tune Your Voice Mail Message
129(2)
Take Your Message to the Next Level
131(1)
Throw Away the Script
132(3)
Evaluate Your Voice Mails
135(2)
Key Points
137(2)
Provocative Written Communications
139(10)
Targeted Letters for Targeted Prospects
139(1)
What's Wrong with This Letter?
140(3)
What Makes This Letter Worth Reading?
143(3)
How to Write Customer-Attracting Letters
146(2)
Key Points
148(1)
Leverage E-Mail Strategies to Get In
149(12)
Avoid Writing Messages that Get Deleted
150(2)
How to Write Great E-mails
152(1)
Create Messages that Elicit Responses
153(2)
Select Enticing Subject Lines
155(2)
Key Points
157(4)
PART FOUR BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIERS
Become Irresistible to Decision Makers
161(12)
Get Grounded before You Call
162(1)
Practical Tactical Ideas
163(2)
Create Conversations, Don't Make Pitches
165(1)
The Business-to-Business Conversation
166(3)
Extend the Discussion
169(2)
Key Points
171(2)
Overcome Obstacles, Eliminate Objections
173(12)
Stop Creating Customer Objections
174(1)
Deal with the Really Tough Objections and Obstacles
175(2)
Brush Off Your Prospect's Brush-Offs
177(5)
Key Points
182(3)
Turn Gatekeepers Into Gate Openers
185(8)
How Not to Treat a Gatekeeper
186(3)
Enlist the Support of Gatekeepers
189(1)
Learn from Gatekeepers
190(2)
Key Points
192(1)
Keep the Campaign Alive
193(10)
Stay in Touch Without Sounding Desperate
193(2)
What to Do When Decision Makers Contact You
195(2)
Prepare Like a Pro for Callbacks
197(2)
When Do You Quit Trying to Get In?
199(1)
Key Points
200(3)
PART FIVE ADVANCE THE SALE
Plan an Awesome First Meeting
203(10)
Avoid Diarrhea of the Mouth
204(1)
How to Converse with Prospective Customers
205(2)
Engage in Questionable Practices
207(1)
Guidelines for Good Questioning
208(4)
Key Points
212(1)
Develop an Unstoppable Momentum
213(10)
Know Where You're Going before You Get There
214(1)
Complete the Sales Call Planning Guide
215(4)
Make Sure You're Set Up for Success
219(1)
What Do You Do If . . .?
220(2)
Key Points
222(1)
The Mindset of Success
223(8)
Experiment with Sales
224(2)
Hold Yourself Accountable
226(2)
Remember What's Important
228(1)
Key Points
229(2)
APPENDIX A: ACCOUNT ENTRY TOOL KIT
231(12)
Tool 1: Target Market Definition
232(1)
Tool 2: Past Customer Analysis
233(1)
Tool 3: Offering Assessment
234(1)
Tool 4: Personal Credibility Appraisal
235(1)
Tool 5: Clarifying Your Value Proposition
236(1)
Tool 6: Top Ten Targeted Accounts
237(1)
Tool 7: Voice Mail Script Template
238(1)
Tool 8: The Voice Mail Evaluator
239(1)
Tool 9: Sales Call Planning Guide
240(3)
APPENDIX B: RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
243(2)
Index 245

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