How to approach "the boss"

[voldoverse]

Good day all. im looking for a bit of advice from fellow entrepeneurs.

When you have a service you want to sell to a company, how do you manage to get your foot in the door to the people who call the shots at the business? i have a successful business running 7 years now purely from word of mouth but i want to start expanding, my primary target market would be the panelbeating shops.

i am just unsure how to go about scheduling meetings with the people in charge, i mean you cant just ask the receptionist "wheres the boss and when can i see him"

it feels like there is a more professional approach to this that i just dont know about.

if you are reading this and you work in the automotive repair industry i would love to hear how these people network, do they belong to a body of some sort that holds events from time to time? do they learn of new services from certain magazines? any information would be of great assistance, thanks very much.

 

[Nemus]

I would imagine the above would be tough in the corporate world, but everytime I have asked to speak to the boss of a panelbeating (or similar establishment) he was in front of me within minutes.

What is the product? Aircons?

 

[SauRoNZA]

Get a dedicated salesperson and don't try to do everything yourself as a jack of all trades.

Hand it over to one of those sales pitbulls and let them worry about this.

And the approach is generally definitely to corner them both in and out of the work place.

 

[Purply]

Hire a private investigator, get some dirt on them and then POUNCE!

 

[Brute]

phone them, introduce yourself, make an appointment with them, present your product.

 

[Pitbull]

Good day all. im looking for a bit of advice from fellow entrepeneurs.

When you have a service you want to sell to a company, how do you manage to get your foot in the door to the people who call the shots at the business? i have a successful business running 7 years now purely from word of mouth but i want to start expanding, my primary target market would be the panelbeating shops.

i am just unsure how to go about scheduling meetings with the people in charge, i mean you cant just ask the receptionist "wheres the boss and when can i see him"

it feels like there is a more professional approach to this that i just dont know about.

if you are reading this and you work in the automotive repair industry i would love to hear how these people network, do they belong to a body of some sort that holds events from time to time? do they learn of new services from certain magazines? any information would be of great assistance, thanks very much.

Phone them and ask to speak to the CFO, or Financial manager. If not in leave your number. When he phones back, explain what it is you want to present to him/decision maker and you would like to make an appointment.

Always start with the dude that runs the finances