Grabbing Their Attention
Most secure destruction professionals eventually ask themselves, "What is the most effective way to get to the information destruction decision maker?"
First, it helps to consider how the decision maker has changed over the years as the profile of information security has grown.
The evolution of this industry throughout the years is evident when looking at who makes the information destruction decision now at an organization. While the decision to hire a shredding firm was at one time made by mid-level managers, thanks to the rising profile of our industry, this decision is now made by business owners, CEOs, VPs, etc.
That being said, the point of entry has become more difficult because the top executives only meet with sales professionals who they perceive have something of value to offer. In other words, unless you are the perceived expert, it may be hard to get to the "trigger-puller."
Here are three ways to gain access to the decision maker:
• Write an article in their industry publication. (An example could be a HIPAA impact article for a medical industry publication.)
• Give a speech and, as they say where I live, "Knock ’em dead."
• Interview them for an article you are writing about leadership in your newsletter.
While these suggestions are simple, not many people do them.
The common mistake among salespeople is that they start too low in an organization and try to "sell-up." Do not waste time with someone who can only tell you, "No." Take the proper steps at the beginning to save time and heartache in the sales process.
Ray Barry is the president of Total Training Services, which operates Shred School in Spartanburg, S.C. He has helped more than 80 companies in the document destruction industry to grow their businesses. Previously, he was the VP of sales and marketing for a shredding company that was named in Inc. magazine twice as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America. Ray can be contacted at raybarry@totaltrainingservices.com.