SETTING AN APPOITMENT WITH A C-LEVEL EXECUTIVE

BY

Kyle Scot Martinez

Prerequisite 1st Point:

This is for medium and C-level calls not small company calls. Small companies

are completely different animals. In my view, the only way to get to them is in-

person.

Prerequisite 2nd Point:

Firstly, ALWAYS go in with a name and know the C-Level Executives title and

what it is they do and what it is their company does. Example, CEO, CFO, CIO,

VP Sales, VP Marketing, etc. Vertical for Industry: Manufacturing, High-Tech,

Government, Grocery, Retail, Housing, the list goes on…What is their industry

trying to accomplish? Well, of course they are trying to build revenue for

themselves and their shareholders if it is a publicly traded company. But what

are they trying to accomplish in the short term and the long term? This is found

out by reading and doing research about the company and their specific

industry. Find this out before you call. It is a valuable tool. Don’t spend hours

on it. Just read posts that catch your eye from online websites on your off-time.

When you are ready, make a list of about one hundred executives, titles,

companies, and phone numbers (emails and/or direct lines if you can get them)

and do no more than two minutes of research before each call on their company

website. Don’t waste time in your 4, 6, or 8 work day. Time wasting is a killer in

appointment setting. Better to make 100 calls, work your tail off and set 4-5

QUALIFIED appointments, then waste time, make 40 calls and do four hours of

nonsense research with a C-Level Executive that says “Come buy anytime, I’ll

be here.” Yeah right, people.

Ok, here we go with the call: (or possibly an email written extremely well if you

have an address)

If you don’t have the first and last name perchance on your prior list of 100

names, titles, and companies already, try to find the C-Level Executive’s name

from the operator who answers the phone. Say you would like to speak to the

VP of Marketing or whatever title you are looking for. (I’m not talking

gatekeeper, this comes later) If she doesn’t give it to you or says something like

“I’m not allowed to give out that information, sir.” Say “Thank you.” and hang

up. That’s fine. There are plenty of other methods. Try directly from the

company’s website. Another is to use a FREE database called “Reference USA.”

You can get Reference USA From most big-city libraries, and it is free if you are

a member of the library (have a library card). This database has 27 million

small, medium, and large companies in it. Within the companies listed are

names (first and last), titles, phone numbers, addresses, what kind of business

they are, how many employees they have, and even more information like SIC

Codes, and things like that. The only thing you have to pay extra for is emails.

If you want to pay the extra for the emails, that is up to you.

Ok, so back to the operator. If you have and give the operator the executive’s

complete name (first and last) they usually will pass you through. Doesn’t

matter if it is Oracle, Microsoft, Toyota, whatever. Now what is going to

happen? You guessed it—voicemail city. DO NOT leave any type of voice mail

until after your fourth attempt at reaching that executive. That is another

complete time waster.

Ok, let’s say you strike gold and a high-level executive answers his or her phone.

What do you do? Here it is: (and say it with confidence or don’t say it at all)

“Hi, Bill. This is Kyle from Connected Systems. Did I catch you at a decent

time? (show respect, like he or she is Pai Me from Kill Bill 2. You know what

happened to Daryl Hannah aka California Mountain Snake in Kill Bill 2 after

not showing respect right? If you don’t, watch the movie!) Bill responding in

best case scenario: Kyle, hmmmm, Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. (he or she is thinking who

the hell I am?) Yeah, now’s okay, whatcha’ got for me? BOOM! Say your

benefit statement, aka elevator speech. (a benefit statement that benefits them and

their company, not yours!) Also add a credibility statement that shows your

company is trustworthy along with a quick name drop of a competitor in their

industry. All in thirty seconds flat. (you’ll get better as time goes by!) There will

be silence. What is that phrase? Silence is golden. Don’t you dare speak! DO

NOT say a word. The prospect is thinking. He/she has to digest what you just

expertly(hopefully) rattled of to him or her. If they ask a question, you are in!

Bill I would love to go over that with you. I’m in San Francisco tomorrow, what

time is better for you 11 AM or 3 PM? BILL OPTIMAL: Oh, 3 PM works

better, you know our address? Yes, I do Bill. I’ll see you at 3 PM tomorrow.

Quick question Kyle, do you sell CRM applications? Yes, I do Bill. I will tell

you about them tomorrow (get off the phone! Don’t sell over the phone (unless

you are inside sales, of course.) Great, see you tomorrow, Kyle. CLICK.

BILL NEUTRAL: Yeah I know what that is and we have a need for it, but I

don’t think it fits us right now. ME: Why is that, Bill? BILL: Too expensive,

we don’t have the budget for it. ME: I understand. Many of my current clients

have said the same. I know price is important to any company like yours.

Wouldn’t it make sense to take a look at it for future use when you do have the

budget? I have time next week on Tuesday morning. How does 10 AM sound?

BILL: Let me look at my calendar. (PAUSE) It has to be 11:30 and only for 15

minutes. Does that work for you? ME: Sure Bill, I have your address. See you

on Tuesday at 11:30. Thanks, bye. BILL: Goodbye. CLICK.

BILL APATHETIC OR ABRASIVE: BILL: How did you get my number? ME:

Your operator gave it to me. BILL: I told her not to do that. What is it you’re

selling? I am busy busy busy right now. ME: I understand Bill, when is a

better time I can call you back. I work with (name companies in their same

industry). Thought I’d give you a ring, but busy is busy. When is a better time

to reach you? BILL: Try me next week, I might be available then. ME: Ok,

Bill, thank you, I will. CLICK. Not every phone call is going to be perfect. In

fact, most of them are far from it. However, Bill (as in Kill Bill) has just given

you his permission to call him back next week. Guess what? When you call him

back next week, he may act completely different and be an optimal Bill. You

just never know. Point is, he has given you his permission to call back weekly.

How grand. I make it a point to call back Bill on a weekly basis no matter what

mood he is in. He will eventually see me. But then again, I played Strong Safety

in High School and some College and was always a starter. I loved to tackle

people. I mean, I loved it. It is not for everyone. You have to decide if it is right

for you. If not, there are plenty of other careers out there that don’t do this kind

of communicative type of psychology. That is awesome. I am for freedom, and

having fun!

Ok, off to the next point. GATEKEEPERS. Yay! (not)

First, always use first name of the executive, never first and last name combined.

If you use the executive’s first name that tells the gatekeeper you might very well

know the executive and she might pass you through. If you use first and last

name she will 100% of the time ask you, “Who is this?” or “What is this

regarding?” These are questions us Regional Sales Managers definitely do not

like to hear! However, even with using the first name a very smart gatekeeper

might ask you the same questions and they are handled below in the next

paragraph.

If you get a gate a gatekeeper for a C-Level Executive, ask her if she keeps his

calendar and when he would be available for a short meeting? This does

sometimes work, and I have set profitable appointments this way with barely

any questions. It works mostly on Government and K-12 schools, however.

With corporations, it still happens, but not often. If she asks why, tell her it is

about HR. (I sell HR Software solutions. But you could just as well say

“Computers” “Finance” or even “Health.” Depends on what you are trying to

sell but make it match up because if she lets you speak to the executive it has to

make sense.) Also ask her (nonchalantly) if she happens to have his email

address for the HR question. (This might silence her immediately. She very well

might give it to you or will say something like “I’m not allowed to give out that

information, can I ask what this is regarding?” Ignore the question subtlety. If

she doesn’t keep his calendar ask if he is available. If she presses again what this

is regarding go into your benefit statement. (again, for their company not yours

people!) This gatekeeper very well might be Bill’s right-hand woman, the next to

be promoted up the ladder. If not that, she is Bill’s confidant, selected because

she knows the business almost better than Bill. When Bill’s out on the golf

course, she runs the office for him. She very well might be getting paid twice as

much as you or me! So treat her with respect! Think of her as Uma Thurman,

aka Black Mamba. If she likes what you had to say in your benefit statement,

she will put you through, or, ask what your name is? Then she’ll say Bill is out

of the office right now, do you want his voice mail. You say: No thank you

Black Mamba, I’ll call back tomorrow. By the way what is your name and how

is it going? Busy? I know I am. It’s raining like Seattle here. Oh well, at least

we live in San Francisco and it doesn’t rain all the time. Right? Point is, be her

friend. She has a very tough job, but don’t be a fake friend. Nobody likes that!

Be sincere as you can. Same thing, can I call Bill tomorrow, when do you think

he will be available? She’ll tell you, as long as she likes you and she likes what

you had to say. I mean, if she brings something to Bill that is profitable for their

company and/or saves it money, WHAMMO. Possible promotion time. If it

bites dust, she is the one who is going to get the blame. So you have to convince

her before Bill if she doesn’t let you get straight through to him. Now, for the

possible bad snake bite. If Black Mamba doesn’t like what you had to say, (or

really doesn’t like you in general) she will bite you and you will be killed in 1

minute, never to be able to call back again. (thank God there are other

companies out there to call on!)

So, in summary, setting an appointment through cold-calling is still working

these days. It has changed because of LinkedIn, databases like Reference USA,

and black-hole voice mail. However, if it didn’t work, I never would have been

able to close Microsoft, The San Francisco Chronicle, Knight-Ridder, Gannett,

Pacific Bell(when they were still around) Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, and many

others.

I have two things on my refrigerator that get me threw rough days. One is a

picture of a disabled gentlemen who has no arms caused by a terrible fire he was

in and he teaches children how to write with with his prosthetic arms. The looks

on those children faces and the feeling in my heart I get each day I look at that

picture inspires me to do my two favorite things-writing and sales.

The other thing on my refrigerator is a Chinese saying that says, “Every person

is the creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing.”

I truly believe that.

However, the thing that inspires me the most are my two sons who are 14 and 15.

The positive things they do in this cynical and crazy world make their Dad

proud as the brightest star.

I hope this will help people set appointments. I know it is hard. Just keep

smiling and the worm will eventually turn.

Self-Promotion Time: If you want to read any of my works for CBS Interactive

or any of my short stories, you can Google Kyle Scot Martinez or purchase some

from Amazon.com(Chasing Rinehart(Under Indiana Crime) The Gift, The

Grand Inn, Potatoes.)

Thank you,

Kyle Scot Martinez

2/8/2015