So, what does this have to do with C-Suite Prospecting, the theme of this blog, for the coming months.  It takes courage and tenacity to step outside one’s comfort zone into the challenging arena of boardroom decision-makers especially if you have made a living calling on mid-level managers.  In this tight economy decisions formerly made by mid-level managers have been kicked upstairs to the COO and CFO’s desk.

I adopted this inspiring motto as my motivator to have the courage to take action when my entrepreneurial instincts whispered to me to test a new concept or analytic technique, rather than doing nothing and remaining inside my comfort zone.  

Megatrends, a 1982 best-seller, featured 10 trends most likely to change our lives. One research technique used to substantiate the author’s claims inspired me to apply it to my (then) new sales discipline of C-Suite prospecting. 

Content analysis was first used by military intelligence to collect and analyze public attitudes from printed newspapers. During WW2, military intelligence readers, conversant in Japanese, Italian and German studied newspaper editorials from combatant cities to interpret the psychological impact of bombing raids on civilian populations. The resulting increase in bombing raids was credited with shortening the length of the war and saving millions of Allied lives.

In 1983, I applied this technique to corporate annual reports to drum up business for my infant marketing consulting practice. A stockbroker provided current annual reports from multiple CEOs in the computers, communications and chemicals industries.

In one annual report, that of a Midwestern computer reseller, the CEO’s message to stockholders cited the ‘spoked-wheel concept’ repeatedly as his breakthrough initiative for his forthcoming nationwide expansion. There was absolutely no doubt who took credit for this concept!

When I solicited his business, I praised his brilliant ‘spoked-wheel concept’ in my letter and again, in my timely follow up phone call. His ego got the best of him, as he flew to Orlando a few days later, to meet with me to explore our potential to become one of his regional distribution points.

Since then content analysis techniques have enabled me to mine gems from corporate annual reports which have served me well to ethically access C-Suite deciders.  Is this a brazen misuse of content analysis?  Well, I prefer to credit intelligent risk-taking as inspired by the proud SAS motto: Who Dares…………………………Wins!

Now: But, 1 year ago, more of us than anticipated did the American Thing. We dug our heels into the dirt, rolled up our shirt sleeves and did the heavy lifting. We did what Americans do best when others doubt us: we demonstrated our true grit!

Here is the true story of one small business owner who demonstrated the guts to grind it out and succeed in this tough 10 month economic period. He did it without any fanfare, government handouts or help. He prospered, in an industry which experienced a 56% failure rate of his service-provider peers, serving a former Top 5 Florida Growth Industry which has experienced an 81% decline since December 2008.We met in November 2008. A business associate who knew us both brought us together.

He described it as: the ideal marriage. The client needed a marketing guy with fresh ideas and a proven track record for making positive change become a bankable reality. I needed a new challenge, in a new industry plus, a client with the ability to pay me and the courage to step outside his comfort zone to try something new.

Together, we made it happen for less than an investment in 1 Chevy from the New General Motors. Our process increased his monthly sales 273% over the same 2008 period. He added new jobsite work crews while his competition’s assets were being auctioned on the courthouse steps. 

He insisted I add his testimonial to my website at: www.salesprospectingexpert.com. Remember folks, ‘it ain’t boasting if you make it happen’, in the homespun words of FSU’s most famous football coach. The process began with a quality mailing list of ideal target prospects.  So, what’s ideal? Ideal prospects were large enough to weather the peaks and valleys of this economic storm with the ability to pay plus, a continuing need for my client’s services.

We needed a ‘scrubbed’ list of named decision-makers with their current business addresses and phone numbers. There were 2 sources. One, at the Florida Department of Professional Regulation in Tallahassee which maintains the database of all licensees, permitted to offer these services inside the state. The other, and the one we chose, was the statewide membership directory of their professional trade association.

 It was harder to get and it took 3 months of happy hour drinks to get one printed directory. Next, we assigned a telemarketer to call every ‘pre-selected’ name in the directory to correct any changes or inaccuracies. This ‘scrubbing’ process, no matter how time-intensive, was critical to the success of our mailing campaign.

 During my 32 years in business, I can name, from memory, each mailing list vendor who didn’t bother to verify the correct spelling of my name. You would be shocked at the number of misspelled versions of my name, Gordie Allen!  Spelling someone’s name correctly demonstrates respect and professionalism. It takes minutes but it’s worth it, especially when you may ask this person to take action on your behalf at some future time.

In my next blog, I’ll discuss the mailing campaign which led to the resulting 273% monthly sales increase.

 OK, it’s your turn! Please share your good, bad or even ugly mailing list experiences.