One of the most frequent questions that sales professionals ask when prospecting for new customers is how do I get to the right person. Well this week we’re going to answer this question for Pam who’s in medical sales, but first, a message from our sponsor.

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Pam who is a medical equipment sales pro from Tennessee wrote to ask:

I’ve just taken a position in sales in a medical supplies company selling imaging equipment my only option is to cold call hospitals or facilities to get prospective buyers, but facilities are owned by corporations and the corporations contract any purchases, so how do I find the right person to talk to in order to let them know that we are even out here. I seem to be chasing my tail.

Well, Pam there are two possible scenarios here. First, the person who makes the decision to buy products like yours is not located in the hospital where you are calling. Instead they are in a corporate headquarters. Or the person who makes decision to buy products like yours is located in the hospital, but just hard to find. The good news for you is that corporations are made up of people and those people are organized to accomplish tasks to keep the organization running smoothly and one of those tasks is buying medical imaging equipment. So we know that regardless of which of these scenarios is true, there is someone who is assigned the job of dealing with you.

Now, the next thing that is true is that in every complex sale like yours there are people who influence the deal, people who use the product, people who research the specs to make sure your product won’t do harm, and people who sign agreements and write checks. The question is, who do you think is easier to find at the hospital? And the answer is simple, the easiest people to find are the people who use your product and the people who influence which product the hospital buys. Now, these people don’t write the checks and they don’t make the decisions, but they know who does.

You see, unfortunately for you, the person who makes the decisions and writes the checks doesn’t answer the phone anymore because there are so many people like you calling them to sell stuff. So back to your original question, how do you find the right people and how do you stop spinning your wheels?

Well, first you’ve got to find out who the influencers and the users are. One way is to go to trade meetings or association meetings where they hang out. Or, call them up and ask them their opinion on medical imaging devices, or sponsor a lunch and get-together, or better yet, an educational seminar. Once you get to know and build relationships with these people, they will tell you who writes the checks and where to find them. They may even make an introduction. When you get the influencers on your side, they will coach you through the selling process and they will get behind you to help you get the deal done.

Of course, after listening to this you might be thinking to yourself, “That’s great, Jeb, but I’ve got to make some sales today and this is going to take forever.” Well, the reality is that in some cases it will and others it won’t. As you begin to connect with influencers, you will find immediate needs and your connections to the people who write the checks and make the decisions will increase. In fact, you will be surprised at how fast deals start dropping in your lap. In other cases, the relationships you build today may not pay off for years to come. But, either way, this process beats the heck out of spinning your wheels, it’s more fun, and you will make a lot of important connections.

For more information on this subject, I recommend reading an article entitled Always an Introduction Never a Cold Call by bestselling sales Author, Paul McCord. You will find the article in the resource center on SalesGravy.com and we’ve included a direct link in the transcript of this show which can be found at quickanddirtytips.com.

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This week I’m thrilled to announce that the first book from a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast host will be in stores soon. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing will be available wherever books are sold on July 8th. Reserve a copy now or preorder one from your favorite online retailer.

This is Jeb Blount and thank you for joining me on the Sales Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. You can connect with me directly when you join the international community of sales professionals on SalesGravy.com. And, if you have a question or a comment please send an e-mail to salesguy@quickanddirtytips.com.