Hints

Part 1. Fractals.

A good rule to follow when looking for new clients is to understand that you should seek clients not one by one, but in groups.

When you have a good client, the first thing you should look at is their affiliation with specific groups. Accordingly, you should try to dig into those groups. Naturally, it makes sense to leverage this client’s access to such groups. Let’s say you provide… warehouse services. (I just looked out the window for inspiration and saw the old warehouses at the Kyiv-Moscow station.) And a client comes to you who sells… diapers. (Don’t ask where I got the inspiration from, having two kids.) A typical strategy for a warehouse owner is to sit on the platform, dangle their legs, crack sunflower seeds, and wait for a new tenant. An atypical but more effort-intensive approach would involve the following set of actions:

• Find out from the client why they ultimately chose this warehouse. What benefits did they see?
• try to identify universal benefits (for example, this is the cheapest warehouse in the city center, and an online store needs to be centrally located to navigate traffic effectively)
• Search Google for “diapers with home delivery” and find all the diaper suppliers, meet with them, and ask about the little things they would like to improve in their own warehousing solutions.
• Or, more simply, ask the client about their competitor’s friends and even find out their names right away.
• Or, even better, ask the client which of his business friends might also be interested in these warehouses.

I will talk a lot about prompts, but it’s important to understand that the way of thinking should be not linear, but fractal—branching out. Moreover, it’s beneficial to think in clusters of characteristic groups. I focus on this way of thinking before discussing prompts further. Think in clusters. Think fractally.

Let’s assume you’re not so lucky (just kidding) and you sell Oriflame cosmetics. You have a client. Ask her about her life. She is, in one way or another, consciously or unconsciously, a member of some “illegal gangs” (you know, there are legal ones too). She takes her child to the playground along with other moms. She feels alone among the residents of her building. She feels alone among her colleagues at work. She feels alone in her aerobics class. She feels alone in… why not ask her for help in getting to know the other members of these groups, rather than just one of her friends?

Do you sell ventilation systems? Did a tobacco factory purchase ventilation from you? How many other tobacco factories do you know of in the country? Did a mini-bakery buy ventilation from you? Where else are there bakeries? Where is their “nest,” where you can find a complete list of them, or where can you most often find a large concentration of bakery owners? The idea of “nesting” is useful not only in sales. For example, in recruiting, when asked where to find a “nest” of sales managers to lure them to your company, the answer is obvious — at a relevant trade show!

Part 2. Sources.

Fortunately, there aren’t many sources of leads, so I can describe them quickly.
First of all, this is your own “warm circle.” Don’t underestimate this resource and don’t be shy about using it. A conversation over beer about which of your friends’ acquaintances you could talk to about your asphalt pavers will, however, look thoroughly absurd. Most likely your friends have no connection whatsoever with the people who need asphalt pavers. Your friends may, though, be connected with people who are connected with asphalt pavers. Somewhere along a chain like this: friend — foreman — the firm that lays the asphalt. What makes such a chain particularly remarkable? That it runs against the current of obligations. The foreman “owes” your friend and keeps up a good relationship with him. Which means the foreman will readily respond to your friend’s request to meet, and your friend runs no risk of spoiling the relationship if the request should suddenly look out of place or pushy. The same path “with the grain” runs from the foreman to the asphalt-laying firm.

The catch is that people tend to remember their clients better than those who are their own clients. Don’t try to pry this information out too insistently. Any casual conversation that frequently shifts topics will lead you to those who are your friend’s clients.

Secondly, there are your contacts, your prospective clients. You should always build the conversation with a prospective client so that he doesn’t feel awkward telling you who else in his circle might be interested in your goods or services, or whose services he uses in his own business. Your meeting should always end on a positive note, so that your contact is in a benevolent mood for a conversation about leads. There is also this effect: a meeting that went badly for you leaves the contact with a slight feeling of guilt, which he is ready to “atone” for by giving you new leads. Don’t be shy about asking for leads from clients who didn’t work out — but you have to be sure you have built a relationship with them.

For example, if you sell animal feed, it’s very easy to ask a farmer about his neighbors and who might be interested in talking to you. Also, you should ask the farmer where he buys, say, parts for his… automatic waterers. It’s worth meeting these people as well, since they know even more farmers. However, following up on these leads might feel a bit awkward, so it’s a good idea to approach it with a light touch.

Thirdly, there are your existing clients. The best advertising for your business is your satisfied clients. It should be said right away that among satisfied clients there are the so-called “golden” ones. That is, those who actively root for you and your business and have generally become fans of it. You have to climb out of your own skin to make yourself part of their life. Be sincere friends, know everything about them: from the dog’s birthday to why the gate at their dacha has started to creak. These people don’t even have to be asked for leads. They will bring them to you themselves. It will be their hobby.

In the fourth place— centers of influence.
A typical example would be the head of the agricultural management in the area if your clients are farmers. The head of the tax office if your clients are accountants. A patron if you sell lighting fixtures and microphones, or a pastor of a Baptist congregation if you sell something for households. This doesn’t mean they should engage in open propaganda or coercion; however, they have influence over people, and those people will respond positively to a subtle request to meet with you.

In fifth place— those whose clients you are. But only if your suppliers provide something useful for both you and your potential clients. Talk to the company that sells you office supplies, for example. Or with the company that services your air conditioners. How exactly to talk — see below.

Did I miss any other category of sources for leads? Let me know. In any case, leads only come from those who know you personally, and quite well at that. Maintain and nurture these connections. Be a “networking” person. Check out the movie “ Sincerely yours “, as a guide for action.

Lemmon: The leads are weak.
Baldwin: The leads are weak. The fuckin’ leads are weak? You’re weak. I’ve been in this business 15 years …
Harris: What’s your name?
Baldwin: Fuck you, that’s my name. You know why mister? Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove an 80,000 dollar BMW. That’s my name. (To Lemmon) And your name is you’re wanting. You can’t play in the man’s game, you can’t close them? Then go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life. Get them to sign on the line which is dotted. You hear me you fuckin’ faggots.

Glengarry Clen Ross

Part Three. Cue Generators.

This will be a slight deviation from the main theme of the series of posts, but it’s worth pausing here, as it presents a significant practical interest due to the “mechanistic” nature of the process.

If we include in the definition of “lead” contacts whose temperature is slightly above room temperature, that is, contacts with whom we should reach out ourselves, having some fabricated reason or knowing that the contact potentially has a need for your services.

The positive aspects of such contacts include:

• The possibility of mass generation — “the hint machine”
• The ability to “assign” a seller. Why waste a seller’s precious time searching for clients when you can provide them with a list and ask for a report?
• The salesperson perceives leads more positively than cold contacts. I experimented and, as “leads,” I simply provided excerpts from the phone directory. The quality of sales was 30-40% higher than with cold calls. This means that the salesperson’s confidence is also worth money. However, such experiments shouldn’t be put into practice, and it’s important to maintain confidence with real leads.
• The ability to assess the effectiveness of the “channel” for obtaining leads and to factor in the cost of leads in the overall sales and marketing expenses.
• The ability to tell new recruits that they won’t have to look for new clients — we have a database.

To the negative

• “They’re ‘closer now, but still just as cold.’”
• They cost money. One way or another.

Now regarding the possible ways of existence of the “machine” for guidance:

First“whatever comes to mind”
Some lists of potential clients share common traits that indicate they may have a need for our product. For example, if you sell children’s vacation packages for camps, you could visit sports clubs and talk to the coaches. Coaches have the addresses and phone numbers of all the parents of the children who attend the classes. You can even spice up a phone conversation by saying, “I heard that your Anton is training in the judo section.”

This category also includes lists of various municipal and government services. For example, diaper manufacturers have long been targeting maternity hospitals. Can you get a list of companies with phone numbers and names of participants from a relevant exhibition? Great. If you need to sell an air filtration system, go to the nearest environmental inspection office for a list of “polluting” enterprises. And so on.

Secondwhich clearly stems from the first — a parallel business.
Is there a business whose clients are the same as yours? Do you sell cement? Who sells bricks? Do you sell super vacuums? Who sells carpets? Do you sell human organs? What about the nearest hospital and the nearest morgue?

Third — cross-selling.Many companies try to get some sort of cross-selling going, reasoning that if clients bought product A from them, that is precisely why they should buy product B as well. Sure, of course. I have never once seen cross-selling work effectively. All right, let me correct myself: work the way it was expected to. Why? Because the names of existing clients are a more valuable resource than a list for phone calls. You can very easily lose loyalty by entrusting the relationship with the client to robots and scripts. But if you understand from the outset that your clients are not obliged to buy anything else from you, and treat the list of existing clients as a source of “barely warm” contacts, everything will go much better.

This works especially well when you’re selling a mass-produced cheap product or a product/service that is sold as an add-on to something else, and it hardly brings you any profit. In other words, you’re not afraid of losing the customer. However, you do have their name and phone number. Just don’t start the call by saying that you’re calling because they bought something from you. The customer will conclude, “I won’t be buying anything more.”

Fourth— BTL.
If you work with individuals, especially as a local supplier, BTL promotions would be a great fit for you.
For example, you photograph people strolling in the city park on a holiday and promise to give them the photo for free at your office the next evening. It would also be a good idea to provide a motivational questionnaire for them to fill out. This way, as they answer the questions, they start to think about the benefits they could gain from purchasing your product or service.

Walk around the trade show, handing out beautiful helium balloons in exchange for business cards.
Distribute discount coupons for new adult diapers in the neurosurgery department of the hospital. I hope the readers will forgive my dark humor.

Fifth — the contact centre. It can be someone else’s contact centre, which you simply pay for leads. What’s more, you can stipulate how warm they are — from a cold list to a list that has already been called through, with potential interest in a meeting established. “Mechanistic” scripts work inefficiently, but what difference does it make to you how many calls were made, if you are paying for finished contacts and the girls at the contact centre are simply keeping busy in their free time.

This could be your own contact center that calls using VERY WELL PREPARED scripts and is VERY WELL TRAINED to talk to existing clients about who else in their circle might benefit from your services. This is very convenient, for example, for internet service providers.

Please, enhance this post, show your creativity and initiative, and suggest some additional “generators” of leads. People will find it interesting. Share with your experience! it’s worth it It stands. !

Categories of prompts.
Now a bit of “botany.”

I category “Cutlet, steak”
Your referrer personally calls the future client and arranges for you to meet. This is a golden recommendation, and you should always strive to get one. You likely have people who are rooting for you and occasionally help you with leads and more. Don’t hesitate to explain to them the difference between you calling yourself and being in the position of the recommended person. They will understand and will try to make the call themselves, at the very least saying something nice about you and asking the client to listen or help. However, there is an unpleasant side to this type of recommendation. Over time, you may find yourself rejecting any other forms of recommendations, considering them less acceptable. “It’s not good to ask for it.” However, this is a false inconvenience, which can be summed up as “the money counting machine is broken.”

Category II “Shoulder, Hip”
Your referee will call the future client and inform them about your call. Often, such a good recommendation can come from a “third-rate” source, where the referee is hesitant to mention themselves as a recommender and tends to leave you with just a name and phone number. This transformation can be easily achieved through the following dialogue:

- I understand you; you don't want your name mentioned, do you?
- Yes, exactly. I don't know how this person will react to your proposals.
- Maybe it's worth calling this person now or later and asking for their permission? This way, you'll show them that you value them and aren't just passing their contact information around, and on the other hand, you'll be acting with integrity?
- Maybe...
- What did you say his name is?
-Sergey Petrovich.
- Do you think it would be appropriate to call him right now and just hear his response?
- Why not!

Of course, your referee will be involved in such a conversation.to justify…and therefore, his request won’t sound like this: “Hey, you don’t need any vacuum cleaners, right? Well, I’m thinking the same.” Most likely, it will be something like: “Sergey Petrovich, I’m talking to an interesting young man. He’s asking me to recommend someone else he could talk to… oh, he sells vacuum cleaners… yeah, not bad, I bought one for myself… seems decent. So, will you help him out? He’ll call you himself.” Additionally, recommendations of the second category work when looking for those who are “in the know,” meaning those who owe something to the recommender or those whose client the recommender is.

Category III “Shin, calf”
The client allows for a reference to be made to him. The broth is certainly rich, but the meat is tough. A reference to an acquaintance is a great way to keep the “thread” of a phone call and avoid a quick refusal for a meeting over the phone. Sometimes, however, there are mishaps when the person being recommended remembers the referrer “not too kindly,” while the referrer is completely unaware of it.

Category IV: “By-products”
Name and phone number. What generosity! To ensure that this isn’t just “a name and a number,” but at least something more substantial, it’s worth learning a bit more about the person or business they represent. If your referee doesn’t allow you to mention them, then absolutely do not do so. Don’t let down those who have placed their trust in you. By the way, a general note—keep your referee updated about your contacts. Thank them, involve them in the process, and make them root for you. This will lead you to new recommendations. The best option would be to elevate your referees to the first category—people who always think of you. Casually. Just at the right moment, your name will ring a bell in their minds.
By the way, the fifth category is problematic because when you call a potential client, you might easily get the question, “Who gave you my phone number?” And what will you do then? It’s better to work with the next category instead.

Category V: “Dog meat, chopped together with the kennel”
You are given not specific leads, but ideas. Where to go, what to ask, whom to inquire, and which category of people to pay attention to. Such leads often come from those “golden” recommenders. They simply refresh your creative stagnation. Don’t dismiss them. Yes, for you, they are essentially a source of cold contacts. However, consider the potential of entering a new group for yourself. Inside the group, they look at each other, check in, and consult one another. They recommend each other. You might find a niche for yourself where you can thrive for the rest of your days.

Did I miss anything in the categories of hints?

Then, ahead of us awaits:

• general recommendations,
• techniques,
• working with objections.

General Recommendations The most important thing to understand is that in order to be recommended, you should behave in a way that makes people want to recommend you. There are many general recommendations, and one post won’t be enough to cover them all. Let’s start in order.

The most important thing to understand is that people don’t necessarily have to recommend you. It’s enough for them to recommend you to others.

The key question is, “Would you recommend…”me.For someone, it will raise suspicion and an internal assessment, among which discomfort arises from the fact that your recommender is, in a way, taking on responsibility for something. Moreover, you are essentially asking someone to promote your product. Very few people feel comfortable in sales. Hardly anyone would feel at ease delivering a monologue over a bottle of beer like, “By the way, I bought this _____. It’s great. Do you want me to recommend where to get it?”

But the question “Would you recommend to me who else I might turn to?” takes both the recommender’s feelings and the whole substance of the conversation onto a completely different plane.

2. Imagine a proctologist.He sits down with his phone, opens the contacts list, and starts calling everyone, offering hemorrhoid treatment. How many new clients do you think he will find in a day of work? And does the proctologist look good when he bluntly asks a patient if any of their acquaintances also have hemorrhoids?

It is precisely such considerations, less picturesque, of course, that lead to the fact that sellers simply…are shyto get recommendations. They rely on grateful patients to share everywhere how well they cured their hemorrhoids with Dr. Ivanov. An even more naive hope, it seems to me. Therefore, all the methods of obtaining recommendations will be mentally assessed “on the proctologist” to evaluate how “shameful” a particular method of getting recommendations is.

To truly receive recommendations and take them correctly, behave like a doctor, not like a peddler at a market.

General recommendations. The most important thing to grasp is that in order to be recommended, you have to behave in a way that gets you recommended. There are many general recommendations, one post won’t be enough. Let’s take them in order.1. The main thing to understand is that people don’t have to recommend you at all. It is enough for them to recommend to you.The key question “Couldn’t you recommend me to somebody?” provokes wariness and an internal assessment, and part of that assessment is the discomfort of the referrer finding himself taking responsibility for something. On top of that, you are in fact asking a person to go and promote your product. And very few people feel comfortable in sales. Hardly anyone will feel comfortable delivering this monologue over a bottle of beer: “Oh, by the way, I bought a _____ the other day. Great thing. Want me to recommend where to get one?”But the question “Couldn’t you recommend to me who else I could turn to?” moves both the referrer’s feelings and the whole substance of the conversation onto a completely different level.2. Imagine a proctologist who gets on the phone, opens his address book and starts calling everyone in turn, offering haemorrhoid treatment. How many new clients do you think he’ll find in a day’s work? And does a proctologist look good asking a patient point-blank whether anyone among his acquaintances also has haemorrhoids?It is exactly this sort of consideration, less lurid of course, that makes salespeople simply too embarrassed to take referrals. They count on grateful patients telling everyone on every corner how well they cured their haemorrhoids at Dr. Ivanov’s. An even more naive hope, it seems to me. That is why every referral technique will from now on be mentally tried on “the proctologist,” to see how “shameful” this or that way of taking referrals really is.To actually be given referrals and to take them properly — behave like a doctor, not like a peddler at a bazaar.3. The last general recommendation) Working on a referral, you need to be simply a perfect salesperson. Under no circumstances must you cause the client discomfort with your own person. Discomfort caused by the absence of the product, on the other hand, is certainly worth causing. It is a catastrophe if your prospective client calls the referrer back and asks: “Who was that you sent me?” That is why it is also important to keep constant feedback with the referrer and inform him about how things stand with the prospective client, his reaction, the progress you have made and so on. What your referrer thinks of it all determines whether he will give new referrals and whether your next client will give you referrals too. They do talk to each other. And they are surely talking about you.I will step away from the topic of “general recommendations” to start gradually describing specific techniques. I will alternate between “general recommendations” and “techniques.” Until these two topics are exhausted, I won’t move on to the question of “handling objections.”

I will deviate from the topic of “general recommendations” to gradually start discussing specific techniques. I will alternate between “general recommendations” and “techniques.” As long as these two topics are not exhausted, I will not move on to the question of “handling objections.”

Techniques for Obtaining Recommendations

The very first technique I want to talk about is called“Payment in advance.”Why is that? Well, I named it that way, and now that’s what it’s called 🙂

The essence of the technique is that at the beginning of the meeting, during the rapport-building phase, you immediately offer the client an explanation of your role and your goals: “Ivan Ivanovich, before we start our conversation, I would like to clarify how I work. The essence of my job is to find new clients and earn a commission for the deals. If we come to an agreement and what I offer suits you, I will receive a commission from the deal. The consultations I provide for you are free of charge. However, I would like to propose a deal. If you like what we discuss, I will ask for your help in finding new clients, agreed?”

On one hand:

• We kind of “reveal our cards” — we let the client understand that we are being honest with them, even though, in fact, we aren’t sharing anything new or groundbreaking.
• We address the client’s “internal objection,” which sounds like, “I’ll buy it, and he’ll profit from it,” by explicitly acknowledging this fact.
• We engage the client’s conscience by mentioning the free consultations. For a good service, the client will be willing to pay, even if it is free. How to pay? By purchasing or providing a reciprocal service.

On the other hand, we “drop an anchor” that we can hold onto at the end of the meeting. After we ensure that the client is satisfied with their purchase or the meeting itself, has gained clear benefits from it, and understands that their time was well spent (and we will confirm this by asking direct questions like “Did you enjoy it?”), we will say the following: “Ivan Ivanovich, as I mentioned, my job is to find new clients. Do you think someone you know would benefit from the information you received during our meeting?”

Of course, you can do this technique without an anchor at the beginning, and then it will simply be called “Did you like it?” – “Did you like what we just talked about?” – “Yes.”
“May I ask what exactly gives you confidence in the necessity of our service?” – Blah blah blah.
— Who do you think among your acquaintances would also benefit from talking to me?

Let’s continue discussing general recommendations.
Before that, I talked about three:
“Recommend to you.”
“To be a doctor.”
3. “To be the perfect salesperson.”

Let’s move on.

Let’s go on talking about general recommendations.Before that I described three:1. “Recommend to you.”2. “Be a doctor.”3. “Be a perfect salesperson.”Moving on.4. Working with referrals, you will notice that there are clients who give you referrals more willingly and those who give them reluctantly. Naturally, clients in the second category need to be moved into the first, and the procedure for moving them consists, on the whole, of building sincere relationships with them that are not tied to business. And you can start quite simply — having sold someone a mobile phone, get talking with him, ask for a contact and, a couple of months later, call and ask how he is getting on with his new purchase. Just chat some more. If you see that your customer is “your” kind of person and you enjoy his company, don’t be shy about keeping up and developing the relationship. That is the really interesting quirk of sales — it is probably the only business that can bring you real friends.However, one way or another our “capacity for friendliness” is finite, and we simply cannot be at two picnics at once. And so we will always have friend-clients who bring us new business and those who don’t. I call such people “golden” clients. The most interesting thing is that I have absolutely no commercial interest in these people. I honestly don’t care whether they bring me new business or not. And they bring it precisely because I don’t care. Precisely because I am not fighting for a surface result and not chasing an obvious gain. I am not boring to them and I help them.

However, one way or another, our “capacity for friendliness” is limited, and we simply can’t be at two picnics at the same time. Therefore, we will always have those friends who bring us new business and those who don’t. I refer to these people as “golden” clients. The most interesting thing is that I have no commercial interest in them at all. Honestly, I don’t care whether they bring me new business or not. They do bring it precisely because I don’t care. It’s because I’m not fighting for superficial results and not chasing obvious benefits. I’m not boring to them, and I help them.

You should also know your “golden clients,” understand everything about their lives, and have a reason to call and chat at least once a week. They remember you. They know what you’re up to, and they drop hints for you just like you toss crumbs to the pigeons in the park. Simply because it makes them happy. And if they know what you’re living for, then you should know what they’re passionate about too. A fisherman should know everything about jigs. A role-player should know about the tactics of Roman legions. A bodybuilder should be well-versed in supplements and training techniques. A fan should know how Celtic differs from Manchester United. And so on. This will, at the very least, enrich your own inner world.

Let’s take a look at another technique for getting recommendations. (Previously, we discussed the “Money Upfront” technique.)

The next technique is called “Informing.”
It’s as simple as three kopecks and is based on the idea that your client is “on your side.” That’s why good sales are different from pushing a product. You’re working with the client, not against them.

So, you just need to tell the client that you find most of your customers through referrals. Surprise, surprise, but this is true even for “creative” spammers and telemarketers. It’s understandable, a referred client is almost already yours.

After you share the “secret” of your business with the client, you ask for their opinion on whether this method of finding is truly the best and if you are right. The client, of course, agrees. Why wouldn’t they? They probably found their dentist and tiler not through the “Avizo” newspaper either.

When the client agrees with you on this matter, a simple question asked a little later, “Who else among your acquaintances might be interested in talking to me?” will no longer provoke resistance.

The technique of “Informing” also includes a tactic where you continuously update your client on how the meeting went based on their recommendation. It’s also important to ask the client to connect with the person they recommended and find out their impressions of the meeting, whether they were positive, etc. In this way, you draw your referrer closer to your side, engage them more in the process, and turn them into a “golden” client.

Be different.

Our world is becoming flat. That means that for the buyer all salespeople are equal, and the client simply cannot draw any serious distinction between them — and, worst of all for you, will not be able to remember you. You don’t remember what you had for breakfast last Friday, do you? No, and you won’t remember it. You will reconstruct it from what you usually eat for breakfast on weekdays.

The same goes here. The best way to get recommended is to be memorable. And the best way to be memorable is to be different from everyone else. After all, every salesperson is primarily selling themselves.

Remember, if you do things “like everyone else,” you’ll get results “like everyone else,” and you need to be better than the rest. Start by being different. Yes, that could mean being different in a worse way, not necessarily a better one. But… if you don’t take the shot, you definitely won’t hit the target. Try, improvise. But don’t do what everyone else does.

Look at the marketers. They constantly do what everyone else does. They, like everyone else, put up billboards. They, like everyone else, care about… press releases They, like everyone else, create “that special, magical” thing. commercial proposal They, like everyone else, produce product brochures and flyers. And then they wonder why the advertising doesn’t work, why they go unnoticed. No, in their defense, they will say: “But, after all…somehow“She works.” But the truth of the matter is—no, she doesn’t.

Don’t write and send out press releases; instead, get to know and befriend a journalist. Don’t send a commercial proposal; schedule a meeting instead. Don’t print and distribute flyers featuring “smiling mom, dad, and two kids”; instead, ask promoters to pinch passersby on the backside, after all 🙂