Comment by kerryfalk | Hacker News Reader

Comment by kerryfalk | Hacker News Reader

Selling is hard. Selling something new is harder. Selling something new B2B without connections or an extremely strong value add feels almost impossible.

I've been there a few times, though I had some previous use cases as tools in my selling bag so it was a little easier. If there's one thing I've learned from my years of selling it's to keep firing until something hits. Keep taking shots and don't stop, eventually someone will listen to you (Sometimes it's just because you won't go away) and that's when you can really start communicating. It's really hard, though (For me, anyway, and I've had some good successes but it still feels like some other guys make it look easy). Like entrepreneurship most people are not built for sales.

I can't give any advice on your life situation and whether or not it actually is time to stop or not. My default position is set to 'Never give up'. If you're having trouble getting through to someone inside a prospect company, jump to the top of the chain - I've called/e-mailed CEOs on more than one occasion when the right person to talk to was someone in middle-management, all that ends up happening is they take my call and pass me down to the person who makes the decision. Once you've been passed down you're much more important to the person you're talking to than if you've been working your way up the chain (Sometimes that works, too).

At a quick glance it looks like a sales problem, though. Keep firing. The first big sale is a huge adrenaline rush, especially after walking through the Valley of Death.

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep firing that's for sure. I'm developing thick skin with all the smoke and rejection. I also like your advice about starting from the top and emailing the CEO's. How did you get their contact info? thanks

"How did you get their contact info?"

Sometimes very creatively. First, try the easy path and call the office and ask the receptionist to pass you through. They're VERY skilled at telling you to go away nicely so be polite and get your pitch down to one line to answer this question:

"What is this regarding?"

"I'd like to talk to them about XYZ"

You'll probably be told to take a hike, or "He's busy, I'll pass along your message." and you'll never hear from them. But sometimes you get through so always start there.

When/if that doesn't work, guess at their e-mail address. This is actually my personal favourite which I've used successfully - Trade secrets! - and send them an e-mail that explains what you'd like to talk to them about and gives a time that you'll call (Offer them an opportunity to suggest a different time) and make sure you call at the time you specified. Eventually you'll get the address right and you probably won't get a reply but it's crucial that you call at the time you said you would.

Then all you have to do is call at that time. You'll reach the receptionist again and now you have a perfectly acceptable answer to the question "Is he expecting your call?". You can say: "Yes, I was in touch with him last week and said I'd follow up with him today at this time."

That's all they need to hear and they'll put you through to them. That'll get you in the door, the rest of the selling process still applies. Keep going, never give up, you'll win eventually. :)

Awesome tricks! Is there a general rule of thumb as to how far apart emails & phone calls go? I want to be persistent, but I don't want to piss them off. Thanks

Finding the line between persistent and annoying is the skill of an exceptionally good salesperson. I find that it's situational. On an attempt like this where it's the first call and I've managed to get through with an e-mail. I set the first follow-up later the next week (I usually end up sending those e-mails on Thursdays or Fridays, just the way it works out for me), if I don't get through at the time I said I'd call I'll be persistent and make sure I get through within two weeks of sending the e-mail. After that you're probably going to cross the annoying line if you become too persistent, I never really give up, though.

Figure out what works for your personality and what you feel comfortable with and go with that. Everyone is different and some sales people I know call more frequently than I do (Or could with my style) and have found ways to not cross the annoying line.

Just keep at 'er. I like to think of sales as an art of the persistent. It can be a lot of fun and intensely frustrating all at the same time! A lot like programming... hmmm... maybe that's just me.

Very helpful, thank you!

No problem. Good luck. :)

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