I will share the techniques on how you can manage to get minimum 10 prospects in a day on your cold visits and multiply your business. Read on to find out how?

My Pain:

First, I had barrier in my mind

Would the prospect want to meet me?

Would he get irritated as I have come without taking an appointment?

As the saying goes- Before every run is a race between your mind and an excuse…WIN IT…

My experience:

One way of writing was to share 101 techniques on how to meet your prospects. I felt that could be boring.

I decided to do it the other way around. I accompanied my Regional Sales head Mr Kamlesh Mehta (61 years old a veteran in travel industry and a passionate sales man who just loves meeting people) when he was in Bangalore, I decided to write a day’s diary on “A day in a life of a typical sales man” in management jargon also called a DILO (Day In a Life Of)

Date: 7^th Jan 2020 Tuesday

Time: 9.30 am

Place: TrustedStay Service Apartments in Koramangala

Visiting sales team: Kamlesh Mehta & Rita Dewan

Plan: It was agreed that we will target Koramangala Industrial Area, as we have a cluster of companies.

Please pay attention to the content in bold & Italics. What I want to share is not what we talked when we met the concerned person, but how we managed to cross all hurdles to meet the concerned person.

Entered the 6^th Block complex with multiple companies. Mr Kamlesh scanned all signages before entry and remembered having met one Ms Shirali from Einfochips in Ahmedabad long back.

Security Guard asked which company? Mr Kamlesh said Einfochips.

Security guard then asked, whom do you want to meet?  Mr Kamlesh said he was instructed by Ms Shirali of Einfochips in Ahmedabad to meet the concerned person in Bangalore office. I am coming from Mumbai.

Security Guard then talked to reception and allowed entry.

• EInfochips- Met HR Manager. Took her into confidence giving the referral. Made the TrustedStay sales Pitch. Shared cards
• Ujjivan – Came to the ground floor company reception. Mr Kamlesh asked the guard at the reception politely and with a smiling face. who is the person in the company who handles Hotel bookings? Then guard directed us to go to the next building.
• Ujjivan- Talked to the lady at the reception. Mr Kamlesh asked her the details of the person in their company who handles Hotel bookings. She said she herself is the concerned person. Made the TrustedStay sales Pitch. Shared cards
• Affine- Met a person at reception. Introduced about us then asked for the concerned person who handles hotel bookings. As that person was not there he shared the Concerned persons details.
• GreyTip- Met a person at reception. Introduced about us then asked for the concerned person who handles hotel bookings. As that person was not there he shared the Concerned persons details.
• Tavent- the guard just refused entry and nor was he willing to reveal any details about the concerned person. After a lot of coaxing the guard then finally revealed the name of the building where the concerned person sits.
• Ness- Gate closed entry not allowed.
• Cenduit- Guard refused. Coaxed the guard, Took the board number from the guard and moved on.
• Alpha – The reception tried putting across to the concerned person but he was busy so got all details of concerned person from the reception
• JKT- Did not get entry
• Milvik-Did not get entry
• Enqueo-Did not get the entry

We then moved on to Koramangala 7^th Block Industrial area. Stopped in front of a building that had 3 companies

• Fortelogic- Did not get entry
• Mindera- Did not get entry
• Riskevry- Did not entry

Then we went to RJ Towers. We started jotting down the company names. A person walked by asking what are we doing. Introduced ourselves, he shared his card saying Nityo is my company. Then we went on to the Top floor.

• Shadowfox – No reception, knocked at the door the person said go to the floor below. Went down, met the concerned person, made the TrustedStay sales pitch and shared cards.
• Octopolis- We were told no requirement.

Had a late Lunch

• Tavent- Went to Reception introduced ourselves. As the concerned person was not there the receptionist shared concerned person’s details.
• ANI- The guard would just not allow. Senior security officer came I initiated asking which is your agency as in our residential complex we are looking at an alternative. He shared details of his agency and then we asked details about our Hotel accommodation concerned person he revealed details and said he sits in other building.

Next Building had 4 companies on 4 floors

• Exito- Met a person at reception. Introduced about us then asked for the concerned person who handles hotel bookings. She said she herself was the concerned person and made the TrustedStay sales pitch and shared cards.
• Meesho- Met the security guy at reception he refused sharing details.
• Pharmeasy- There was no reception, knocked and entered. Requested the person across the door to direct us to the concerned person, made the TrustedStay sales pitch and shared cards.
• ARTIVATIC- Guard would just not allow. Talked to a person coming out of the building but was of no help

Next building had 4 floors and 4 offices

• Brandcomm – Went to reception. Introduced and he said the person is not there. He went inside and got the card.
• Wifi- Went to reception. Introduced ourselves. Talked to the concerned person made the TrustedStay sales Pitch. Shared cards
• Monti- Went to reception. Introduced ourselves. Talked to the concerned person made the TrustedStay sales Pitch. Shared cards
• Pylon- Went to the reception. Introduced ourselves. Talked to the concerned person made the TrustedStay sales Pitch. Shared cards
• Infogain- went to office no reception met a person and talked to him, he shared the concerned person’s details.

Visit Summary: 28 Visits, 8 meetings, got 14 email ID’s & 14 Mobile no’s, 2 Board nos. And please note this performance was not just one off. He does it consistently every day when he is on tour. I make it a point that whenever he is in Bangalore every Tele marketing executive accompanies at least 2 days with him in field.

My Learnings from our Ace Sales Head

1. His passion gave all the energy to him to keep hopping from one company to the other.
2. At his age I had to push myself to catch up with his walk.
3. He would comb his hair before entry to any company.
4. He dresses up smartly.
5. Always smiling while meeting the customer.
6. He is respectful to all be it the security guard or the receptionist. I could see the reciprocation from them by helping him out with the information.
7. Always leaves his card at the reception requesting him/her to handover to the concerned person.
8. He plans on how to make entry. He will try and find a connection or plan an appointment but once an entry is done he makes it a point to knock at every door in that complex.
9. Even if the concerned person details are not shared, he targets collecting at least the board number.
10. I observed his eyes browsing the entry register at the reception , looking for names of the employees and jotting them down.
11. Promptly after every meeting, Mr Kamlesh would shoot the TrustedStay introductory mail from his mobile, using his standard template without delay.
12. His work did not stop at 5 PM. When we reached office, he started to Google board nos. of all the companies for which we could not get any details. He then attempted to reach out the concerned person if he got any contact number or email ID.
13. He ended the day at 7 PM by making his visit report for the day. Putting tasks for the executives in CRM to follow up the next day.

My Conclusion:

I was never a sales person. I recalled the initial days when I had a sales person. He would spend the whole day out, just to tell me, no one allowed me inside. Then I withdrew him from the field and put him on cold calling. He would then make some paltry visits off & on. But after a day in field with Mr. Kamlesh, I am confident that no Sales-person can ever fool me now.

If you agree with my view, please put your comments below…