| There has been a great deal of questions in my | | | | Hi Ann, |
| workshops lately about how to use email in | | | | I have a few questions for you. |
| conjunction with leads coming off the Internet. How do | | | | 1. Did you stop by and see what my company does? |
| you know if you have research before following up? | | | | 2. Do you know who my clients are? |
| How can you use email as an effective tool to create | | | | 3. Have you determined the industry in which I |
| specific follow-up action steps? With that in mind, here | | | | specialize? |
| is an example of an email I received from a company | | | | 4. What size is my company in terms of gross sales |
| we'll call " WeKnowItAll Company". | | | | and number of employees? |
| Our story begins with WeKnowItAll sending me an | | | | 5. Based upon the size of my company and the type |
| email inviting me to access their online company | | | | of information I may need, how profitable of a |
| research subscription service free for two days. One | | | | prospect is my company for you? Should you be |
| of the things I love to do, is to use the WWW for | | | | investing your limited sales time with me? On what |
| doing research on my competitors, my clients, my | | | | types of companies in which industries do you make |
| client's clients, their industry and competitors, my | | | | the most money? |
| prospects, my prospect's clients and my prospect's | | | | 6. Is my company hiring and if so, what types of |
| industry and competitors. | | | | people for which types of projects? |
| The biggest danger of using the Web for research is | | | | 7. Have you signed up for my company's newsletter |
| you can find yourself in "analysis paralysis" and can | | | | or requested my company's literature to learn more |
| often end up spending more time on the Internet then | | | | about what my company does and what is |
| you do on the phone selling and generating revenue. | | | | considered important? |
| My suggestion is to set up a specific set of questions | | | | 8. Did you read in my bio? If you did you would see |
| to answer, which once answered should provide | | | | that I was a past member of the Society of |
| enough basic pre-call research. Ron, stop stalling, | | | | Competitive Intelligence Professionals and the |
| where's the list of questions? Hey, relax and don't | | | | Association of Independent Information Professionals. |
| worry, the list is towards the bottom. | | | | Does knowing that information, help you create some |
| Now I'm saying to myself, hmmm, free trial for two | | | | rapport questions to ask me? |
| days. Oh boy, I'm going to have some fun and put this | | | | 9. Are you prepared to show me examples of data |
| baby through its paces. Let's see what types of | | | | gathered from WeKnowItAll on two or three of my |
| information I can find that is really useful for my | | | | clients as examples of the type of data I would have |
| specific needs. I set a specific goal for this test. My | | | | access to on my prospects using different versions of |
| goal was to identify certain personnel within target | | | | WeKnowItAll? |
| prospect companies I'm looking to do business with. I | | | | 10. Based upon what I do and the types of companies |
| was evaluating based upon two criteria at this point. | | | | I target, can you deduce what type of information I'll be |
| One, was what was the quality of the information | | | | looking for? |
| provided? Secondly, how easy was it to access that | | | | 11. What are two areas where I could possibly use |
| information. | | | | WeKnowItAll? |
| I start using WeKnowItAll online database by myself | | | | 12. Since my target market has a demand for your |
| without any guidance and off the bat I've got a log-on | | | | type of service, is there a possibility you can help me |
| problem. Rule number one; if you want someone to try | | | | to help you sell more of your service to my target |
| something, without any assistance, providing clear and | | | | market? |
| simple instructions is an excellent way to make a good | | | | I'll wait for your answers and then we'll discuss it. You |
| impression. Finally I'm able to log-in, and the amounts of | | | | can reach me in my office on Thursday morning when |
| choices are mind boggling. Anyone who knows me | | | | we can set up a time and date to see if there is a fit |
| knows I'm a big fan of simplicity and ease of use. This | | | | between our companies. |
| site, although very comprehensive it was also very | | | | All the best to you, |
| cluttered and confusing. | | | | Ron |
| I found myself going back and forth from one screen | | | | Continued from above… |
| to another trying to find where the profiles of company | | | | Set up a specific list of basic questions for pre-call |
| personnel were located. Apparently, depending on the | | | | research. Then think outside the box and look at all the |
| type of company (public or private), there may or may | | | | possibilities including reseller and affiliate relationships. |
| not be personnel information and it may or may not be | | | | Maybe you do business with one of your prospect's |
| always located on the same page. In other words you | | | | clients. Maybe you are affiliated with one of your |
| often had to spend a lot of time digging for it. | | | | prospect's other suppliers. |
| After about fifteen minutes I started to get frustrated | | | | After you do make contact, remember, at the end of |
| with my free two-day trial and moved on to other | | | | every call or email, there needs to be specific a |
| tasks. Below is the email I received the day after my | | | | request that action be taken. For example, here is a |
| two-day trial (or in my case fifteen minute) was over. | | | | request I use quite often in my emails. It works quite |
| In between the person's statements, you'll find my | | | | well since people enjoy giving advice: |
| comments in [brackets]. Finally you'll read my email | | | | Example: |
| response back to this person with a list of 12 pre-call | | | | "Please advise." |
| research questions. | | | | Thanks, Ron |
| This is the email I received after my trial ended… | | | | Another Example: |
| Hi Ron: | | | | "I found an article on one of your competitors, I think |
| [Do I know you? I've never met you. Wouldn't it be | | | | maybe of value to you. Your assistant gave me |
| wiser to err on the side of good manners? Change | | | | permission to fax it to you. |
| the salutation to "Hello Mr. La Vine"] | | | | "I'll call this afternoon to be sure you received it and to |
| I just left you a voice mail message also. | | | | discuss if there maybe a good fit between our two |
| [About what?] | | | | companies. At that time, I'll also be able to provide you |
| Please let me know when you would be interested in | | | | with some specific ideas where we maybe able to |
| scheduling a demo of the site. | | | | give you a competitive advantage" |
| [Why would I want to take my valuable time and | | | | All the best to you, |
| schedule a demo of your site since it is not clear to | | | | Ron |
| me what value you bring to the table?] | | | | Another Example: |
| As you may know, WeKnowItAll provides unbiased | | | | Hi Mr. Smith, |
| editorial coverage on over 18,500 large and | | | | As we discussed, you are looking to hire more reps in |
| medium-sized companies. We also show accurate | | | | the Business Intelligence /Information Management |
| details on each company such as contact names, | | | | space. We also agreed that our selling philosophies a |
| products, competitive landscapes and financials. | | | | rather identical. |
| [How would I know this? What's a competitive | | | | Your main goal is to teach your reps how to hunt |
| landscape? Is it a cross-matrix comparing one | | | | effectively and ferret out opportunities in short order. |
| company's products to another's? Is it a simple listing | | | | Your reps are dealing with customers and resellers. I |
| of competitors, which I can get off of Yahoo's | | | | have an article from Software Magazine that I will fax |
| company profiles? Come to think of it, what | | | | to you. You may it of value to you when you go to |
| information does your service provide that I can't get | | | | cost justify the sales training to your management. |
| either for free or from one of your competitors?] | | | | Since you need to have another two people on board |
| We also offer Advanced Search functions that would | | | | before we can finalize the training dates, I sent you a |
| allow you to search for specific companies or | | | | list of web sites where you can find sales reps, sent |
| contacts by title, industry, location, private companies, | | | | the job criterion you e-mailed to me out to my job |
| Fiscal Year End, or other means. | | | | seekers list. I also sent you two possible candidates. |
| [And this means I'll be able to do what? What are the | | | | You have people in both Reston and Denver and all |
| benefits of knowing this information? What will knowing | | | | will be in Denver the week of September 9th before |
| this information enable me to do?] | | | | two weeks of ABC University. We spoke of setting |
| There are two levels of business subscriptions: | | | | up a two-day class during the week of September |
| [What are the specific benefits of subscribing? How | | | | 9th. |
| will it enable me to do my job faster, better, less | | | | You mentioned you need to run this by Tim, Dan and |
| expensively (cheaper) or easier? What types of | | | | then Andy for budget approval. Attached is a sample |
| increases or decreases, more or less results can I | | | | Agreement with a fee schedule for your review and |
| expect based upon testimonials from other of your | | | | signature. |
| clients?] | | | | I will follow this email with more specific details about |
| WeKnowItAll Power Plus (all access + unlimited free | | | | the live sales call-training workshop, which you can |
| lead downloads into Excel) WeKnowItAll Total Power | | | | read at your convenience. This will include comments |
| (all access) | | | | from people who mentioned they wished they had this |
| [If for some reason I don't have Excel, can it be | | | | type of training prior to their product training. |
| downloaded into Comma Delimited Text Fields (name, | | | | I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday, |
| title, phone number, etc.) What I really need is a | | | | September 28 at 8am PST when I will call you at: |
| CD-Version. I wonder if they have one?] | | | | 303-555-1234 to discuss the next steps needed to put |
| Sample WeKnowItAll Profiles: [ | | | | a live sales call training workshop in place for ABC. |
| Please give me a call if you have any questions or | | | | Please call me at 818-991-6487 if you have questions |
| would like a demo of the site. | | | | before then. |
| [You already let me have a free two-day demo | | | | All the best to you, |
| without any kind of commitment. I might give you call, | | | | Ron |
| however first I've got to figure out (in this case by | | | | The Lesson… |
| myself) how to get the service to work, so don't | | | | Don't send emails asking me to call you or to do |
| expect a call. Besides, I don't know your office hours | | | | something, unless you have provided information or |
| or if there are alternative means to reach you such a | | | | topics of value specifically related to my company. |
| responding to this email or calling your cell phone.] | | | | This type of information may include insights you want |
| Kind regards, | | | | to share about my clients, prospects, industry or |
| Ann Smartster 1.888.123.4567 ext. 1234 asmartster@ [ | | | | competitors that would be worth me taking my time to |
| [Where is your tag line explaining what you do? For | | | | discuss. |
| example: WeKnowItAll enables you to easily turn raw | | | | Separate yourself from the rest of the reps who do |
| online data into real revenue. | | | | no homework and then expect that their products and |
| This is my response to her prior email. | | | | services alone will generate sales. |