My buddy Greg (not his real name) is the kind of guy that IT marketing and sales people would give their eye-teeth to pitch. He is a high mogul in the office of the Chief Technical Officer at a very big technology firm. What a lead!

Some people do try to reach and influence Greg. And in a recent conversation, he told me that many of their approaches fail quite badly.

MAB: "What do they do wrong?"

Greg: "Where to start. For one, after my admin registered me for a conference, I began getting e-mails. It started as a trickle, but as the list got around, it has grown to ten a day. It’s quite annoying and impersonal … they put my name on it, but the rest is generic."

MAB: "What is the content like?"

Greg: "They usually start with a set-up question … how’s your supply chain or whatever … and then pitch their software. Then of course, please give me a call. Some try to pretend they know me personally. Others try to pull technical tricks to capture your info and then annoy you forever. I never return any of those e-mails or phone messages … I delete them."

MAB: "Is this behavior caused by omission, that is, they simply have not done their homework … or an act of commission where they think they can bully you?"

Greg: "Both. Sometimes I’m targeted for software or services that have nothing to do with me, my job, or my company. It’s just a blast e-mail. If it actually is personalized, many of them are relentless … three or four e-mail messages plus a call, asking for 15 minutes of my time … even though I have nothing to do with what they sell. I think they simply see the big company name along with my name and they start sending stuff. It’s crazy."

MAB: "In your capacity, you also have to contact IT execs. What do you do to make sure your own approaches are different and better?"

Greg: "If it’s a vendor or partner, I work through the sales team. If it is a direct prospect, of course my title and company attract attention right away. But beyond that, I propose a discussion based on something relevant and timely to them, to share our experience with other clients, and what we know about the technology in general. I would never send an unsolicited e-mail to a senior executive. It’s a much more personal communication. And of course if I can be introduced to the executive, that’s the best."

MAB: "Tell me about the marketing and sales phone calls you receive … what are they like?"

Greg: "If it’s an experienced person, they usually ask whether their technology might be applicable. In two minutes or less, we can determine if it’s worth it to go any further. But the new sales reps call and mumble and stumble and simply grasp at straws."

MAB: "Last question … two or three things you’d recommend that younger marketers and smaller companies do or avoid."

Greg: "If a sales rep is arrogant, the prospect or customer will ask that they be taken off the account. I have to ask this from time to time. Regardless of the technology, the sale is based on the relationship and the people. Even for smaller technology companies, it comes down to the technical capability of course, but also to the relationships among people who trust each other. If you can do that, even smaller companies can sell successfully to big outfits like mine."

After our conversation, Greg showed me some of the e-mails and attachments. Mind you, he’s a high tech honcho, but the junk marketing he received ranged from nursing and medical software to logistics management to OSHA compliance seminars to accounting packages. That is drive-by marketing at its most absurd. Says Greg, "If they don’t pay attention to me, why should I pay attention to them?" Indeed.

#####

Michael A. Brown publishes the Business To Business By Phone® newsletter and runs the company of the same name in Austin, Texas USA. www.michaelabrown.net  800 373-3966