Need a little help getting company information?

I got a call from a sales rep asking how he could find out information on a private company that had no web presence. He tried the usual information gathering resources: official company website, Dunn & Bradstreet, Google search and talking with friends. He even called the company looking for information but they would not give him a contact name or forward him to anyone. Ok he was not calling the CIA or any other security agency yet it is not uncommon to have companies block callers.

Some sales trainers suggest a variety of ways to deal with being blocked. They suggest sounding like an angry customer, an executive calling to talk with another executive or a potential business partner. If this is a legitimate approach and you are comfortable with it then quit reading and go make your calls. However if you feel uncomfortable because from your perspective this approach involves some form of lying or deception then I have an easy idea for you. It is so easy that when I mention it you will say to yourself…”that is so obvious why didn’t I think of that”!

Ok here is the big idea. When you call a company ask for a salesperson. Every company has a person responsible for sales whether they are called sales, business development, order department, customer service, or something else. The point is salespeople help salespeople. Now some of you may say this is too simple or they will block you but think about it. Who in their right mind calls in and ask for a salesperson? I have used this approach for years and it has always been very successful. If you get their voice mail write their name down so you know who to ask for next time. Depending on your philosophy you may or may not leave a voice mail but I won’t go into that in this post. Anyway when you do reach the salesperson tell them you are a salesperson and want their help. No matter how secretive the company is I have always received a few minutes of help from the salesperson and usually that is enough to get me what I need.

Have any other concerns or ideas? Please feel free to leave a comment or feel free to contact me.

I decided it was finally time; time to get myself, my ideas and my experience out there where it can help as many people as possible. I have been involved with the sales world – almost every aspect of it – for over 17 years.  I have been a sales rep, a sales manager, a business owner, a sales consultant, sales trainer and a sales coach. 

In the past I have chosen to work the traditional way – I gain clients through referrals only and work one on one with a select few companies a year giving them high quality service and gaining high quality results.  I decided that, although I still want to work this way – and still will continue to do so – there was another piece that I was missing.  I have heard it said before that if you truly believe in what you do and the powerful results you produce shouldn’t you consider it your moral and ethical obligation to get out there and reach as many people as possible with your talents? Well I do believe in my talents and abilities to greatly help others. Whether it be sales professionals, sales managers, Sales VP’s, CEO’s, or VC’s – my experiences and no nonsense approach have helped me to connect and produce powerful results.

Therefore, this blog is my attempt at reaching, connecting, and helping as many people as a I can with my knowledge and experience.  That being said, this is my first attempt at joining “blogging world”.  Over the next couple weeks we will be fine tuning this blog but the real value, the content, will always stay the same. Thanks for your patience and your interest. Feel free to contact me or leave comments.