Suppose you want to know more about a local or even regional business. Walk-in!
Lately, my prospecting has been about one thing, getting to know who is in charge. That’s it. I walk in, ask for the manager or owner who would make the marketing decisions, and leave. Just yesterday, I attacked a typical Best Buy, JC Penny, and Dicks Sporting Goods-retail area right off a freeway. Several strip centers with dentists, salons, and quick service/sit-down restaurants.
You get the picture. Here is what I found.
TIME
It took me about 4 hours, from 11:30am-3:30pm, to get in and out of twenty-eight businesses. I passed on the national fast-food chains, restaurants like Olive Garden and Best Buy. I know the local manager doesn’t have much influence on what the agency is going to do. If you have found different, let me know.
I hit virtually every other business without fail and even some smaller national chains with success. I walked right past a Jersey Mike’s and into a Smoothie King. I was rewarded. I met the General Manager face to face, and he immediately texted an introduction to the owner whom he said would be interested in advertising. He gave me the owners’ cell phone numbers, and I am making a proposal for their consideration. I may have to add them to my 18 total prospects list. Each stop was about 5 minutes or less, and I stopped to make some phone calls, go to the bathroom, eat, Christmas shop, and drive.
Some calls were longer where managers insisted on seeing me or giving me a tour. When was the last time that happened to you emailing a prospect?
APPROACH
I used the same line over and over. I wanted to introduce myself to the manager, owner, or person who made the marketing decisions and let them know about a new ad program we had for their business. I would leave behind my card and a one-sheet to give them if they were out. Most employees understood 100% why I was there and had no problem with it—most of the time.
I had my fair share of “we don’t give the decision-makers names, emails, or particularly cell phone numbers out”. The classic “leave us what you want, and we will get back to you if we are interested” line was used frequently. I admit to feeling a bit rejected on that one. It classified me as an annoyance and threat to their safety, somehow. I realize that is my stuff, and I will work to overcome that. I highly recommend you read Don Miguel Ruiz Four Agreements, especially why we should never take things personally.
In my 28 walk-ins, I bet I only met three decision-makers, and all of them were too busy at the time to know more but invited me to come back. One owner was preparing to work lunch, and another medical office manager had a caller on hold but wanted to know all about my idea.
RESULTS
I learned so much about who the decision-maker was, where they worked, how many stores they had, what they were like, and how motivated they may be to advertise. Sometimes I was given the decision-makers cell phone, but consistently I was handed their email (I just handed them my notebook, and every one of the gatekeepers just wrote down the info I needed).
I was told how busy they were. I saw what the store looked like; I earned the endorsement of the assistant who liked my idea and would champion it forward. My follow-up emails to the decision-makers will now include my recent visit to their store, whom I met, and I can ask them if they saw the one sheet I left for them. All great ways to make a cold call warm.
Wear your tennis shoes and just start walking in.
Jeff Caves is a sales columnist for BSM working in radio and digital sales for Cumulus Media in Dallas, Texas and Boise, Idaho. He is credited with helping launch, build, and develop Sports Radio The Ticket in Boise, into the market’s top sports radio station. During his 26 year stay at KTIK, Caves hosted drive time, programmed the station, and excelled as a top seller. You can reach him by email at jeffcaves54@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn.
