Thursday, September 03, 2009

Getting around the receptionist

Masthead.ca, the website for the Canadian magazine industry, has a fun column on selling magazine ads, by sales trainer Peter Ebner. In his most recent column, he tackles a subject that should interest any entrepreneur: How to get around a receptionist who is screening out your calls.
His ideas are kind of fun.

1. Call before 9 a.m., at lunch or after 5 p.m - when an executive is most likely to be without their administrative screen.

2. Ask for sales. Phone any company and ask for sales, and chances are you will be put right through. "You’ll find that most salespeople will tell you anything you’d like to know because they haven’t been instructed to screen calls," sasy Ebner. "They’ll not only tell you who the marketing manager is, they’ll also give you his direct line."

3. Call accounts receivable. If the company you are targeting doesn’t have a sales department, ask for accounts receivable. "Once again, accounting has not been instructed to screen calls, so they see nothing wrong with answering your questions."

Click here to read more columns by Peter Ebner.

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