Trading Value

We have to go back in time to explain how I created this most important strategy. When I started selling, there was no internet, no websites, and no way to learn about a company. There was no email, no iPhones, no texting. You would have to make a cold call, not the cold call you are thinking of, sitting in your office dialing the very few phone numbers. At that time, a cold call meant walking into the client’s office and asking to speak with the right contact. If you couldn’t meet the person, you would have to share your business cards as proof that you were making cold calls.

It was easy to get a meeting because your contact needed to learn about you, your company, your clients, and your solutions. In one of my businesses, two reps recognized that neither calling nor email was working. Most salespeople asked the client for their time on a cold call, like the cold calls right now. I made so many calls that my pointing finger now has a bicep, like Arnold’s, but bigger.

As time went on, we got the internet, soon after data, email, texting, and all the tech that doesn’t seem to improve sales results. As I had index cards for a CRM, I had a Sharpie to write on the index cards. I called from 9:00 AM to lunch, and then back to dialing.

Everything was going well making calls, until contacts refused the request for a meeting, all at once. At the same time, I had a client who was not paying what he needed to produce the results he wanted. To change his mind, I created an Executive Briefing, and my client told me I did an outstanding briefing.

After a large number of cold calls, I decided to offer the client the Executive Briefing. Every contact loved the insights, and they still do. When it's done well enough for the contact, they agree to a second meeting.

Here is the exact pitch I used to get enterprise-level deals:

"Good morning. My name is Anthony Iannarino, and I am calling you to offer you our Executive Briefing. Even if there is no next step for me, I will give you our insights on your industry so you can share them with your team. What do you look like on Thursday?"

This worked well, but I was not giving the Executive Briefing to people who were not leaders. Once they understood why they were not getting results, armed with the truth, many of the contacts started complaining about their current providers.

Allow me to make certain that you understand what is different from anything you have seen before. Instead of asking something of your contact, you offer to give your prospect something that is valuable enough while also making you better than your competitors.

If you want to improve the number of meetings, trading value for your client’s time will help you improve your sales results.

Note: You don’t have to provide an Executive Briefing. You may have a survey, or any other asset that creates value for your prospect and their stakeholders.

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