Question

Topic: Strategy

Thoughts On A New Sales Prospecting Method

Posted by Anonymous on 11/24/2004 at 9:50 AM ET 50 Points
I've noticed a trend amongst event planners and marketing services providers in the last couple months - something that hadn't occurred often at all previously. I've gotten more than 3 calls a week like the one below for the last 8 weeks.

Here's what's happening:

1) A service provider calls my company and intentionally(?) asks for the wrong department (almost always Sales).
2) The service provider talks with this wrong department and asks for the name of the right person, and also for the name of the person they are currently speaking with.
3) The service provider calls me and uses the name of the person in the other department frequently, dropping in comments about how excited this other person was about the offering and how they knew I'd be interested and would want to start their service right away. (*when the actual conversation was more like "I don't handle that - you should talk to Tate.")

My questions:
1) I know this is a somewhat common sales tactic, but is anyone else out there doing it in this basic (and downright gutsy) fashion? If so, why? Does it work?
2) Is the assumption that we won't go back and check their reference?
3) Does anyone know of a training class or book that espouses this strategy so I can track this back to the source?
4) My real question - do any of you use other marketing tactics that have the potential to bring fast success (e.g., shortcut the traditional sales cycle), but could also completely eliminate your potential to ever do business with an account? If so (and you don't mind sharing trade secrets or failures) I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and experience.

...I just can't fathom a healthy business plan that could alienate prospects by falsifying bonafides... but it must be working for someone...

Tate

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RESPONSES

  • Posted by telemoxie on 11/24/2004 at 12:30 PM Accepted
    I'm sorry, I'm confused.

    In your 10:18 post, you are asking for more "gutsy" methods, and calling them "gems".

    Which is it? Are in favor of, or are you opposed to, this sort of marketing?

    I'm a professional free-lance telemarketer, and it is my personal belief that honesty is the best policy, in the long term. Unfortunately, being a jerk works better in the short term. It is sad to say that most professional marketers have substituted ROI calculations for a sense of what is right and what is wrong.

    For more discussions on this topic, please see my previous posts:
    https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=2293
    https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=2323

  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 11/24/2004 at 1:50 PM Accepted
    Tate, I've been on the receiving end of a similar tactic with email -- "So-N-So wanted me to contact you about my great stuff."

    And like you, I rarely answer my calls. Most of them are unsolicited sales pitches, and they go into voicemail.

    Here's a question for you:
    Do you ever return those calls (or reply to those emails)?

    I ignore 99% of them, and I stopped feeling guilty about it a long time ago!

    Shelley
  • Posted by Deremiah *CPE on 11/24/2004 at 3:32 PM Accepted
    Shelley,

    I'm with you. Just avoid answering. You know your friends would never recommend someone without contacting you first. I mean if it WAS SO DOG-GONE GOOD WHY WOULDN'T YOUR FRIENDS OR PEERS CONTACT YOU FIRST about it. After working as a consultant for years I hated how PSG (Poor Sales Gimics) were being used by some of my work buddies to attract attention for sales. They might work but the methods are "HIGHLY FLAMABLE". Is there anything I can do for you Tate? interesting question.

    Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE (Customer Passion Evangelist)
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