How to reach A+ business owners via Cold Calling from someone who was an assistant to a VP of a biz

Hey Guys!

Long time no see, its been at least a year since the last time I have been on here....AND I BRING VALUABLE INFORMATION!

Quick view: I took a job as a administrative assistant for a VP of marketing at a medium - large sized company. I just quite to pursue my growing side biz and I have some info on how to reach A+ people via cold call-cold/email.

First let me start off by saying cold calls and emails do work. Cold calling, in my opinion, still being the best.

My job for the last year was basically answer his phone calls, schedule his appointments and I was specifically told "No salesman should every get through you" <---no joke. In fact, we would sometimes even make fun of cold callers and how pathetic they sounded (trust me some were god awful).

So how do you get through, what would make me want to pass you along and then make him want to talk to you. Well I'll type out the best case scenarios of how to get through below.

1st Best Case Scenario

If we are under the assumption that you do not know this person or any of his friends and are trying to reach out to him via cold call or cold email the BEST way to get him to talk to you is a recommendation from ME his assistant.

Yep, that is correct if you are able to convince me that he should hear this then chances are you will talk to him.

But wait! I was told "a salesman should never get past you". Yep, that is correct, so somehow you must make ME feel that by passing him through I will be praised by the business owner.

This means any assistant worth his/her salt WILL NEVER pass you along on the first try. I mean, he might but this guy was dealing in deals in the $50,000 range we are not talking chump change of $1000 a month.

You should view a cold call as not trying to get to the owner but to make a relationship with the assistant. Again, I should repeat that this is not always the case...sometimes assistants will allow you through but for someone with literally no time for you it will be a lot harder. Being persistant is key.

An Example of a salesman who literally knocked my socks off (abridged)

Me: Hello this is Geoff from xxx how can I help you?
Sales: Well Heellloo Geoff (very enthusiastically),My name is Mark and I hope you can, is xxx in?
Me: No, he is away on business and wont be back until next week or so (lie)
Sales: Well that is too bad, I know I can save him some money. Well, I'll just try back. Hey, you keeping dry Geoff...it is storming like crazy.
Me. (I know this dude isn't in my city, did he research the weather before he called.) Yep keeping dry, I've got to go sir. Have a great day.

One Week Later:
Me: Blah Blah, how can I help you?
Sales: Well Helllo Geoff! Its Mark again from xxx Wanted to see if xxx was in
Me: Oh hey, no, he will be in a meeting all day. So sorry (lie)
Sales: No problem, I'm just certain I can save him money in his xx campaign. Not a problem! (still enthusiastic) I'll try again next week. How is your day going Geoff.
Me: Busy just tons of paperwork.
Sales: well a good way to pass the time is to listen to the radio, maybe a baseball game is on.
Me: (I love baseball) good idea, have a great day Mark.

One Week Later:
Me: Blah Blah how can I Blah.
Sales: Well Heelllo Geoff!
Me: Hey Mark, xxx is not in
Sales: Ok, I can try back again I just know I can save him money. How was your weekend.
Me: How can you save him Money?
Sales: {His Pitch}
Me: Ok, he isn't in but I'll run it by him.

Later that day, I told the vp that a guy keeps calling in about saving money on his print ad accounts. I told him that normally I wouldn't tell you about him but he is pretty damn persistant and he is sure he can help us. He told me the next time he called to send him through.

Best Way Part 2

Send a sniper targeted email.

This is going for a homerun ball and I've seen it work first hand and it is beautiful.

I have access to all of the vp's email account except one and if you can get his personal email and send him something worth while you are almost guaranteed to get an email/call from him.

It is TONS of work to research and find his email so once you get it DO NOT send a typical dumb email that I have seen a hundred times. Be theatrical!

Here is what one guy did, we didn't buy from him because the price wasn't right but he was able to get a face-to-face meeting in ONE email.

The guy found his personal email address and his work ones (the ones I'm in charge of) and sent him an email (sent to his personal and then CC'd his work ones) that basically had a short pitch and then a link to a website entitled howIcansave(vp's name)moneyonhisnextprintcampaign.com . I'm not kidding, the website was decked out with a video a "tab" at the top for the pitch, which was also a video and a calendar image with times he could pick to meet. It was so out of the ordinary that when the vp called me for some tasks I had to bring it up.

Me: did you see that website dedicated to you lol
VP: ha It was pretty good, can you send him an email and tell him Wednesday is good for me.

Mind blown!

Anyways, basically stand out. I get about 30 cold calls a day and HUNDREDS of cold emails a day. Stand out, be friendly, and get me on your team.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Don't EVER use prerecorded cold calls. Not only is it non-professional it is phone spam. When my calls are off the hook and Im busy and I get one of those calls I get infuriated to the point where I have clicked through and got the guys business name and left a bad review. Don't be lazy, be a man/woman and pick up the phone. People of all walks of life respect people willing to do something hard to make money...prerecorded calls is not hard and no one worth anything will buy from it.