Having a hard time getting to see the biz owner? Here's a sneaky trick...

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Ok, I thought this was brilliant, and it worked. I don't know if this is original, my rep swears that it is (though it seems like something he might have read in a creative sales techniques book or memoir of a super salesman) so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. It's really good, and I've hesitated for a couple of days posting this, but I decided to go ahead and share with the WF.

Our rep was having a hard time getting to speak to the business owners at several local businesses we were prospecting. No matter how many times he tried to set up a meeting, he couldn't speak to the owners. Someone was always running interference, or the owner had somehow "just stepped out". He came up with what I thought was an amazing plan, and it worked 100% of the time.

Here it is...

He put his sales material in a very large shipping envelope, and on the outside he put on a shipping label that read, in black text:


Then in large, bold red text he added (using a rubber stamp-like font):


He had a blue cap embroidered with the words "Southern Courier Service" and donned a matching blue short-sleeved shirt.

He then printed out a "Southern Courier Service" signature page with several sections, each representing a "package" with an address and a signature line. He put that sheet on a clipboard and then visited each of the businesses again.

Amazingly (or not so amazingly) at each and every business he visited, either the owner appeared from the back or he was told exactly when to return that the owner would be on the premise. In one case a persistent employee tried to sign for the package, but our rep refused saying "It says here that the business owner has to sign for it -- are you the owner?" After the obvious "no" answer, a quick phone call was made by the employee to the owner's cell phone and he was asked to return in 30 minutes. Needless to say, the owner was there, eagerly awaiting his important package!

100% of the time, either on the first or second visit,, he managed to hand over the sales packages to the actual business owner and collect a signature for the package.

We'll see how the conversion rate pans out, but I thought this was definitely thinking outside the box and was a pretty sure way to get a foot in the door.
#offline marketing #biz #hard #owner #sneaky #time #trick
  • This is GENIUS. I am a one man band so I would just hire someone on craigslist to do this but again a genius idea.
  • Hmmm... sounds like a good idea. Very good out of the box thinking here. I don't know if I would try it since it sounds like a lot of hassle without proven conversions. Definitely let me know how it goes, maybe it would be worth it.
    • [2] replies
    • What type of service are you prospecting for?
    • Ok. I haven't been in sales that long so maybe it's just me being green, but what happens after he delivers the package to the owner. Does your rep just say "Thanks" and that's it? Was the goal just to get the materials to the owner? Was it to prove that the owner or counter person are liars since the owner was obvously there?

      How could the rep possibly speak to the owner about your company while wearing his Courier outfit.
      • [2] replies
  • I think that this is a great idea and I could see it having a decent success rate. I am always open to new ideas, thanks for sharing.
  • Could come back to bite you if owner sees this technique as underhanded! I must admit that while creative there are other solid ways to get your message in front if the righ people for review!
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Steve

      You said your guy had trouble getting to see the owner to set up meetings, but in your post you haven't said that your guy has actually set up any meetings.

      So what is the difference?

      Was the purpose just to get the info pack to the business owner?

      Fed Ex would have gotten you the same result if it was a named sign on delivery surely?

      Your man would then have followed up with a call whether walk in or phone.

      Dan

      PS: What I mean is there are a couple of things missing from your post not that it is a bad idea if he got the meetings booked.
      • [1] reply
  • This is an interesting concept. I currently drive for a local courier service as an independent contractor, so I already have the uniform, manifests, clipboard, etc. I don't think I'd deliver my own packages for the reasons already mentioned, but I may strike a deal with another driver.

    You should be able to find a local courier service in almost any are in the US. Most will have a "routed" service, which should be the cheapest available. Basically, the service will pick up all your packages, disburse them to the drivers that cover those zip codes, and they will be delivered during the logical progression of the route. The only guarantee is that they will be delivered by the end of business. They can then email or fax you proof of delivery that will include time of delivery and the name of the person that signed for the package.

    You should be able to find a service that will do this for as little as $4.00 per piece. Some services in larger metro areas may even do them for less than that.
  • Steven,

    The "delivery guy/courier" strategy definitely works. I've used it for years to send stuff that I wanted the owners or my target market to personally receive.

    The only issue that I can see with the way it was described in the post is the whole "it-was-a-marketing-gimmick-and-I-gotcha!" right in the owners face. If the courier ends up being part of the company who's trying to solicit business, it would absolutely diminish the effect.

    The best way to do it would be to have the courier have the owner sign for the package, receive it and then leave. It would definitely get a little weird if the courier "hung around" to explain what's in the package or watched to make sure the owner opened it.

    Chris
  • HaHa that is awesome. So it is a fake mailman that you are using?
  • This technique was mentioned about a year ago right here on WF and it sure works. But instead of your salesman delivering the package himself, you'd like to pay someone else to do the delivery :-)

    By the way, it doesn't have to be a real "delivery company".


    Thomas
    • [1] reply

    • I would say that is dodgy. I would be using a real delivery company.
      • [1] reply
  • I guess you could get by with any courier service except for wanting the owner to sign for the package. Probably wouldn't be necessary if you put on the package that it was labeled "Official Materials, For "owner" Personal Attention"
  • Goog story, could possibly of been in a few movies, never the less, the owners mentally might change when he gets the disappointed. Worth a try though, thanks for the post.
  • On another thread, it was suggested that you include a lottery ticket in a mailing package so that you could call a couple of days later and ask: 'Did you win?'

    That would also work well here.
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    Having a hard time getting to see the biz owner? Here's a sneaky trick...

    Ok, I thought this was brilliant, and it worked. I don't know if this is original, my rep swears that it is (though it seems like something he might have read in a creative sales techniques book or memoir of a super salesman) so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. It's really good, and I've hesitated for a couple of days posting this, but I decided to go ahead and share with the WF. Our rep was having a hard time getting to speak to the business owners at several local businesses we were prospecting. No matter how many times he tried to set up a meeting, he couldn't speak to the owners. Someone was always running interference, or the owner had somehow "just stepped out". He came up with what I thought was an amazing plan, and it worked 100% of the time.