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One thing that TMW has observed through the years is that a significant number of business
development professionals are unorganized which has a negative impact on
productivity. Furthermore, most organizations have no “system” to manage their
sales contacts. It’s recommended that you create some way to manage your sales
leads as soon as possible.
Without debating which system is best, TMW suggests you try the following arrangement,
which has been refined through experience:
Supplies:
Create a sales leads management system:
1 plastic pendaflex hanging folder box (aprox. 14.5” x 18.5”) with a plastic cover.
31 pendaflex hanging folders, with plastic label tabs for each day of the month: 1-31.
12 pendaflex hanging folders, with plastic label tabs for each month of the year: January – December.
1 pendaflex hanging folder, with plastic label tab for 2011.
1 pendaflex hanging folder, with plastic label tab for 2012+.
Note: You will need a total of 45 folders. Purchase 3 boxes of 20.
Place the folders in the plastic pendaflex hanging folder box. The numbered folders should be
placed in the box first. The folders will revolve according to date. For example, if the date
is August 29, 2009, the first folder you will see in front is 29. Simply remove whatever contents
you have in the folder and replace the folder in the box, behind the last folder 28. The folder
that should now show in front is 30. The monthly folders will be placed behind the numbered
folders. The monthly folder that should be in front is September. Once September arrives, take
the contents out and file the folder in the back of the monthly folders (i.e. August). A 2010
folder is provided and should be placed behind the monthly batch of folders. A 2011+ folder
is provided and should be placed behind the 2010 folder, which will contain future data.
Note: The plastic box may be covered with a plastic top, which will keep the contents clean.
It may be easily moved around the office and transported if needed.
1 ream of copy paper (unlined).
1 12’’ ruler.
Plastic trays (aprox. 8.5’’ x 12.5”) stacked. As many as you need to manage clutter and be efficient.
1 black Week At-A-Glance schedule book (aprox. 8.5 x 11). Convenient, easy to use, and transport.
Can be easily archived in a 8.5” x 11” hanging folder.
5 black ball point pens.
5 red ball point pens.
Hi-Liter felt pens: 3-blue, 3-yellow, 3-red.
1 Stapler.
1 telephone head set.
1 supply tray.
Reference USA: Unlimited mailing lists and prospect directory assistance on-line for free. Will
require a library card. TMW will inform you how to access this database when you subscribe.
A manual tickler system has proven to be the most efficient for general prospecting. You don’t
want to spend your production time typing in prospecting data when you can simply and quickly
make a few notes on a piece of paper and put it in your tickler system. For example, when you
get a “hot lead” on the telephone, scribble the company, telephone, contact, person you spoke to,
and quick lead comments. Don’t spend time trying to be neat and punctual. Use key word variables:
REL, for real estate, RLO, for relocation, GEN, for general contractor, WTB, for want to build,
3m, for 3 months,etc. You get the point. Don’t put more than 3 leads on a piece of paper. At the
end of the day, rip the leads with your ruler and file the leads accordingly. 3 months, 1 week,
6 months, 2 weeks, 8 months, 3 days, 2 years (2011+), 10 days, etc. You get the point. It won’t
be long before your “pipeline” of qualified sales leads is growing significantly. It matures like
an investment.
Follow-up with the sales leads accordingly. When you make your telephone call backs, inquire as
to how the project is coming along, etc. Make a quick note. Refile the lead for follow-up as
requested.
Once the prospect becomes an appointment, then write the lead up on an Appointment Sheet and
log it in an Appointment Log. This may simply be established and saved in MS Word or MS Excel
for tracking purposes. TMW will supply these forms to you for free, if requested, once you become
a subscriber, to assist you in saving organizing time.
The best way to market sales leads provided to you by TMW is as follows:
First, print out your sales leads when notified via email by TMW that new sales leads are available
or simply work off your computer screen. You may use the Sales Leads Results form as a tracking
checklist. Print it or work off your computer screen.
Call your sales leads! Different responses will be given from the receptionist or main contact.
A lot of people don’t believe that the receptionist has much information. However, TMW has
experienced that the receptionist has more influence and information than most people realize.
A person that visits the company for a meeting with the Facility Manager, CFO, President, or
Owner normally introduces them self to the Receptionist (gives a card, etc.) and signs in,
giving name, company and who to see, etc. If an Architect, General Contractor, Commercial Real
Estate Broker, etc. arrives for any kind of appointment, the Receptionist knows!! That’s why
TMW suggests trying our “non-conventional / emotion approach” to qualify the sales leads provided
to you or even when you conduct your own personal cold-calling.
For any given prospect, they are going to be performing a project in the very near future, near
future or not too distant future.
The best response for the very near future is to say that you were referred by someone. The referral
approach works excellently. You may say a friend or a sales associate suggested you call, or are a
Chamber member, etc., that you do a lot of networking. Do not tell the company that you know that
they are relocating! This upsets them because this information is not always common knowledge.
If it’s confirmed that a project is imminent, either try to establish an appointment, stating that
“Matter of fact, we will be right near your location (their address) on Thursday” and / or “We
completed a project for XYZ Corp. (one of your clients).” Or overnight your brochure, including your
Certificate of Insurance, Financial Statement, References (3-5), and Testimonials (3-5). Call to
make sure it was received. Attempt to establish an appointment or at least get on the selected bid
list (normally 3-5 contractors). Put the prospect on your A1 Hot List and do whatever it takes to
get in!
If a project is not immediate but is in the near future (3-6 months + or -) a brochure should be
sent out ASAP. If the project is close to 3 months out, call once every 30 days. But, don’t be a
pest!! Use some common sense. Yes, you should always be closing and be going for an appointment
but you need to use your head. Establish rapport. Attempt to get on the selected bid list or from
the long list to the short list. The same strategy should be used for projects close to 6 months
out but call once every 2-3 months. Again, don’t be a pest and don’t “hound” or “hammer” the
prospect. If you feel a bad vibe, back off.
If a project is from 8-18 months out, a brochure should be sent but by the time it is “screened”
the documents are normally all bent up and looks like crap. A simple letter referring the project
manager to the firm’s web site works great or simply send another brochure at a more appropriate
time frame. In the letter state that you would be happy to meet if they have a desire to negotiate
the project or would like a budget estimate, which helps you to get in the door early. If they
decline an appointment, normally its too early to see a prospect. You may do like wise with a
simple e-mail.
If a project is 19 months or more out, simply send a letter of interest in the project, refer the
prospect to your web site and follow-up in an appropriate manner. You may do like wise with a simple
e-mail.
The benefits of marketing private facilities data is that overall competition is reduced significantly
compared to other types of projects. Bids are made to either the Facility Manager, who functions as
Owner / Contractor, or has his own preferred vendor / contractor, or prepares a selected bid list,
where normally only 3-5 vendors / contractors are invited to bid for a contract. Sub vendors / contractors
may submit a bid to each of the selected vendors / contractors.
Other Marketing Tips:
Follow-up on the leads.
Think log-term. Build your pipeline.
Appointment 1 person to telephone and manage the TMW leads without sorting them out to multiple
sales people.
Request that one of your sales representatives make a visit to the company and drop off a brochure if a move
is 30-60 days out and you haven’t received a response back from the prospect.
When discussing your product, generally it’s suggested that you speak with enthusiasm and sincerity.
Avoid the dull monotone voice. Speak carefully and with confidence. However, there will be times when
you will want to “mirror” the other person. If they sound depressed, you sound depressed. If they
sound happy, you sound happy. If they speak slow, fast, etc., you do the same.
Project your voice like you’ve known the person forever.
Friendly tease and joke with the receptionist. They love it!
Sound like you’re the receptionist’s best friend.
Once the receptionist let’s “you through the gate”, thank them. Convert from a non-conventional /
emotion approach to a more professional approach, when you begin speaking with your target
contact (Facility Manager, for example).
If a particular person is difficult to reach, try different times. Request an email address.
If a company is moving, inquire as to who will be relocating into the vacated facility.
Once its discovered that a prospect has an upcoming project, every possible marketing offensive
needs to be implemented in attempting to secure an appointment.
Future Organization Suggested To Stay Focused:
You should use the following forms, which will help keep your marketing efforts focused. If you
subscribe to TMW’s sales leads, they will be emailed to you free of charge to help you save time
in getting organized, which can be saved on MS Word & MS Excel and altered according to your
tracking requirements:
Telephone Script: Proven To Produce Results.
Call Sheet: Indicates telephone activity: 8-hour work day.
Daily Record Of Leads & Appointments Generated: 1-Month.
Lead Sheet.
Appointment Sheet.
Appointment Log.
Eventually you will need to create the following in order to manage your appointments & clients.
You may also create a summary of the following on MS Excel.
Appointments pending file folder drawer.
Past Appointments file folder drawer.
Current Clients file folder drawer.
Past Clients file folder drawer.
TMW realizes that you are a very busy professional and offers to create your tickler system and
any of the above on a cost-plus fee.
Contact Us if you need any assistance.
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