4 ms·

Ask HN: Advice on picking up the phone and selling my product.

11 points by Hates_ 17y ago

I work in a small three person startup as the CTO/sole developer. We recently hired someone to take care of the marketing and sadly I have absolutely zero faith in their abilities or approach. It's come to the point where they've just out right said that me having a say in the marketing is making us lose focus. I'd let them go if I could, but the long story is they are a friend of the CEO who doesn't have the heart to just tell them what to do. The CEO is away for two weeks during which time the marketing manager had a telesales person come in for two days last week. They prepared nothing for them, in terms of core message, goals etc. I had to actually cue this person and tell them what their message should be and how they should try presenting it. I can't describe how frustrated I've felt since then. Every moment they are working on the marketing feels like another moment the business feels like it's slipping away into nothingness. So, I'm going to pick up the phone myself with the sole aim of getting meetings in-front of potential customers. We sent out a letting introducing ourselves to a list of potential clients and I'm going to follows those up myself. Problem is I've only done calling like this once and it felt like the most stressful thing I've ever done. The anxiousness and the fear of rejection. My current thinking is I'll just be honest and say "We're trying to get the thoughts and opinions of people like yourself. Would you be open to meeting with us for only 5 minutes?". But what can I do to make the process easier/better? Are they any simple approaches that I can use to secure meetings? How do I get over this anxiousness and stress that I feel, even when I just start to dial a number?

answerly 17y ago
Its sounds like you already have a list of prospects, which is great. I'd take a day or two to determine if you can secure warm introductions from friends, acquaintances, advisors, etc into any of these target companies (LinkedIn is a stelar resource for finding these types of intros). If you can, then you should have a more receptive target which should help you gain some confidence in your own abilities prior to jumping right into the "cold calls". Another technique that I've used with some success is to determine the target individual is within a company and try to find their preferred communication channel. For example, I've gotten some really great contacts by connecting with people first through Twitter or their blogs. I think this can sometimes cut through the noise of the 100 unsolicited calls they get in a day. You may also want to try sorting your target list by those you think have the most strategic importance. Then, start calling from the bottom of that list (i.e. the folks who you believe have the least strategic importance) and work your way up. This will give you the opportunity to work out your pitch/confidence with some lower priority targets. I've seen some startups try to pitch their most important potential partners right out of the gate and have a bad experience because they haven't had a chance to refine their pitch yet. As far as the message, being straight forward about what you want out of a meeting is definitely the way to go. Make sure that you also figure out what the benefit is for the potential target. For example, can you offer them some discount or free trial of your product in exchange for some feedback at this early stage. The actual benefit you can provide to them will obviously vary greatly depending on the type of product you are selling and the type of company you are selling to. Hope this is helpful- good luck!
- weaksauce 17y ago
  This advice is good. Definitely listen to the part about reverse ordering the calls you make based on the value you place in the target accounts. Also expect to not get a sale or meeting most of the time on these types of things as people have a different agenda than you and are overly busy. Don't sell features, sell solutions to problems. They will only buy something if they have a problem that your solution fills. Good luck! As an aside, how did the marketing guy get hired? Was it a consensus or a unilateral decision? Either way if the guy is not bringing enough to the table you need to measure the persons performance and hold them accountable. This is not being a bad guy, it is simply holding them to the same standards that you are held to. If you shipped out a product full of bugs or were late on every milestone your partner would hold you accountable so you should not feel bad about doing the reciprocal.
shorbaji 17y ago
Easier? Well, just do it and get over the first few rejections. Things I kept in mind to make me feel better when I started in sales engineering are:- a) every "no" gets you closer to your next "yes" b) some customers are out there waiting for someone to come along and solve the problem you application solves c) Expect low conversion rates, e.g. of 100 calls you make less than 10 may accept a short meeting. To make it better, a) prepare an elevator pitch to get you started b) make sure you have quality leads - e.g. if your customer is the marketing manager, don't pitch to HR or the secretary - make sure you have the right telephone numbers c) be relevant. d) You are less likely to get an audience when you get introduced through a "friend" so use social networking sites. LinkedIn was particularly useful Good luck
cmos 17y ago
I found that by telling people outright that your the CTO and sole developer let's you off the hook from having to actually try to sell them anything. Often they will relax and actually have a real discussion with you about your product. Only salespeople should do a 'sales' pitch. Technical people are best off with an 'innocent' reach out to talk about the product to see if they might be interested in it (or just have constructive feedback). Tell them about your product, what you find most applicable to their business, then do what sales people don't often do. Listen. Then, at the very end, if they are interested, close with a prepared line about a demo or ask if you could go over pricing or something. A good line is "are you interested in being a customer of ours?". If they are interested figure out ahead of time a commitment they can make that proves it. Perhaps it's an opening order. Maybe it's a followup phone call to review a price sheet you're about to email them. Define what a successful call is before you make it as you don't want to be caught off guard and you want to have the appropriate commitment for your industry and product. Some people just get so excited about an honest conversation with someone knowledgeable about their business concerns they'll be your customer because they believe in you first and your product second. But make sure they know there is a price to this insider information in the form of a commitment or a purchase order! Another 'get out of jail card' is if they ask for something you aren't aware of, like can they have longer terms or pay in a lump sum always say 'I'd have to talk to a sales guy (or CEO) about that one'. Even if it's your final decision, it gives you time to figure out if it's a good deal for you despite our innate desire to say 'yes' to anything to close the sale.
anamax 17y ago
> The CEO is away for two weeks during which time the marketing manager had a telesales person come in for two days last week. If they're not taking care of this sort of thing, what are they doing? > I'd let them go if I could, but the long story is they are a friend of the CEO who doesn't have the heart to just tell them what to do. The CEO's job is to make sure that the company succeeds. Perhaps you should fire both of them.
browser411 17y ago
If possible, meet your prospects in person. Go to industry events, shows, etc. Have a 20 sec pitch NAILED. Practice it incessantly on friends and family--anyone should be able to "get it" no matter how technical the product. Tailor it to their needs, not features. Make your goal to get an actual meeting with someone. Prepare a very short written "pitch" presentation. Make it look good. Rinse and repeat. As others said, let rejection fuel--not discourage--you.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
joez 17y ago
I agree with most of the things that have been said on the thread so far. Especially listening. Here's a little more of classic salesman strategy and something to practice. Give them two choices that work for you. Example: When they say now is not a good time. Instead of asking, "Would next week be a good time to discuss how we can help?" Ask, "What would be a better time to discuss how we can help? Wednesday or Friday?" This way, instead of a response of "No, I can't." You'll get an appointment. I hated being a salesman but that was probably the one rule I learned and actually kept. Always be closing. (someone had to say it) Another thing I think you should try is up-selling your current customers. Contact some customers that you've had interaction with (maybe exceptional customer service) and see if you can get them to sell one of their peers on your service and provide both of them a discount.

11 points by Hates_ 17y ago

answerly 17y ago

Its sounds like you already have a list of prospects, which is great. I'd take a day or two to determine if you can secure warm introductions from friends, acquaintances, advisors, etc into any of these target companies (LinkedIn is a stelar resource for finding these types of intros). If you can, then you should have a more receptive target which should help you gain some confidence in your own abilities prior to jumping right into the "cold calls". Another technique that I've used with some success is to determine the target individual is within a company and try to find their preferred communication channel. For example, I've gotten some really great contacts by connecting with people first through Twitter or their blogs. I think this can sometimes cut through the noise of the 100 unsolicited calls they get in a day. You may also want to try sorting your target list by those you think have the most strategic importance. Then, start calling from the bottom of that list (i.e. the folks who you believe have the least strategic importance) and work your way up. This will give you the opportunity to work out your pitch/confidence with some lower priority targets. I've seen some startups try to pitch their most important potential partners right out of the gate and have a bad experience because they haven't had a chance to refine their pitch yet. As far as the message, being straight forward about what you want out of a meeting is definitely the way to go. Make sure that you also figure out what the benefit is for the potential target. For example, can you offer them some discount or free trial of your product in exchange for some feedback at this early stage. The actual benefit you can provide to them will obviously vary greatly depending on the type of product you are selling and the type of company you are selling to. Hope this is helpful- good luck!

weaksauce 17y ago
This advice is good. Definitely listen to the part about reverse ordering the calls you make based on the value you place in the target accounts. Also expect to not get a sale or meeting most of the time on these types of things as people have a different agenda than you and are overly busy. Don't sell features, sell solutions to problems. They will only buy something if they have a problem that your solution fills. Good luck! As an aside, how did the marketing guy get hired? Was it a consensus or a unilateral decision? Either way if the guy is not bringing enough to the table you need to measure the persons performance and hold them accountable. This is not being a bad guy, it is simply holding them to the same standards that you are held to. If you shipped out a product full of bugs or were late on every milestone your partner would hold you accountable so you should not feel bad about doing the reciprocal.

shorbaji 17y ago

Easier? Well, just do it and get over the first few rejections. Things I kept in mind to make me feel better when I started in sales engineering are:- a) every "no" gets you closer to your next "yes" b) some customers are out there waiting for someone to come along and solve the problem you application solves c) Expect low conversion rates, e.g. of 100 calls you make less than 10 may accept a short meeting. To make it better, a) prepare an elevator pitch to get you started b) make sure you have quality leads - e.g. if your customer is the marketing manager, don't pitch to HR or the secretary - make sure you have the right telephone numbers c) be relevant. d) You are less likely to get an audience when you get introduced through a "friend" so use social networking sites. LinkedIn was particularly useful Good luck

cmos 17y ago

I found that by telling people outright that your the CTO and sole developer let's you off the hook from having to actually try to sell them anything. Often they will relax and actually have a real discussion with you about your product. Only salespeople should do a 'sales' pitch. Technical people are best off with an 'innocent' reach out to talk about the product to see if they might be interested in it (or just have constructive feedback). Tell them about your product, what you find most applicable to their business, then do what sales people don't often do. Listen. Then, at the very end, if they are interested, close with a prepared line about a demo or ask if you could go over pricing or something. A good line is "are you interested in being a customer of ours?". If they are interested figure out ahead of time a commitment they can make that proves it. Perhaps it's an opening order. Maybe it's a followup phone call to review a price sheet you're about to email them. Define what a successful call is before you make it as you don't want to be caught off guard and you want to have the appropriate commitment for your industry and product. Some people just get so excited about an honest conversation with someone knowledgeable about their business concerns they'll be your customer because they believe in you first and your product second. But make sure they know there is a price to this insider information in the form of a commitment or a purchase order! Another 'get out of jail card' is if they ask for something you aren't aware of, like can they have longer terms or pay in a lump sum always say 'I'd have to talk to a sales guy (or CEO) about that one'. Even if it's your final decision, it gives you time to figure out if it's a good deal for you despite our innate desire to say 'yes' to anything to close the sale.

anamax 17y ago

> The CEO is away for two weeks during which time the marketing manager had a telesales person come in for two days last week. If they're not taking care of this sort of thing, what are they doing? > I'd let them go if I could, but the long story is they are a friend of the CEO who doesn't have the heart to just tell them what to do. The CEO's job is to make sure that the company succeeds. Perhaps you should fire both of them.

browser411 17y ago

If possible, meet your prospects in person. Go to industry events, shows, etc. Have a 20 sec pitch NAILED. Practice it incessantly on friends and family--anyone should be able to "get it" no matter how technical the product. Tailor it to their needs, not features. Make your goal to get an actual meeting with someone. Prepare a very short written "pitch" presentation. Make it look good. Rinse and repeat. As others said, let rejection fuel--not discourage--you.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

joez 17y ago

I agree with most of the things that have been said on the thread so far. Especially listening. Here's a little more of classic salesman strategy and something to practice. Give them two choices that work for you. Example: When they say now is not a good time. Instead of asking, "Would next week be a good time to discuss how we can help?" Ask, "What would be a better time to discuss how we can help? Wednesday or Friday?" This way, instead of a response of "No, I can't." You'll get an appointment. I hated being a salesman but that was probably the one rule I learned and actually kept. Always be closing. (someone had to say it) Another thing I think you should try is up-selling your current customers. Contact some customers that you've had interaction with (maybe exceptional customer service) and see if you can get them to sell one of their peers on your service and provide both of them a discount.