© Bill Farquharson, Print Tec Network

This article first appeared in Print and Graphics magazine, although they changed their name to Graphics Network and subsequently went out of business.

Imagine standing outside of a building you desperately want to enter. Companies located in this building consume vast amounts of printing and you want your share. You walk up to what looks like the front but find no door. You walk to the back. No door there, either. You walk completely around the building and to your amazement there is no way in. Looking in through a window, you can see people working. There are cars in the parking lot. FedEx and UPS trucks pull up and make their deliveries. How did THEY get in, you wonder. You leave, frustrated.

Some time later, you return, proud of your persistency and determined to find a way into the building. However, the results are the same. No entry can be found. Desperate, you pick up a small rock and ding a window a couple of floors up in an attempt to get some answers. A man opens the window, smiles, and says, "Can I help you?" "Yes," you reply, "can you tell me how I get in to this building?" "Sure," he says, "you just need to find the door." With that, he shuts the window and you are once again left standing on the outside, looking in.

Eventually, a car pulls up and a man gets out. He approaches the building and, reaching out with his hand, a door handle magically appears. As he disappears inside you watch in amazement as the door vanishes. Thirty minutes later the man reappears from inside the building and you rush over to him. "How did you get in?" you ask. "Well, I sell office supplies and have several clients inside. So, naturally I have a reason to be there," he replies. "So why is there no entrance for me?" you inquire. "It's very simple to enter the building once you find the door." You scream and return to your car to ponder the situation.

What in the name of Harry Potter is going on here? Where is this "door" people keep talking about and why is it invisible to you, yet others see it clearly? Perhaps your contact in the window can clarify. So, you grab another rock and once again take dead aim. Ding! The window opens and there he is once again looking down from his office. "Hello again," he says. "What can I do for you?" Before you can say a word, you notice he is wearing a baseball hat with the New England Patriots' logo on it. "Hey, how about them Pats?" you comment. "Are you a fan?" he asks. "Absolutely!" you reply. "Their Super Bowl victory was nothing short of astonishing. Did you see the game?" As he replies and gushes his comments on the subject, an amazing thing happens. A door suddenly appears in front of you. When he is done, you ask, "Can I come in to talk further with you?" "That would be great" comes the reply and, just like that, you're in. You have found the door.

This story might sound more familiar to you if I identified its characters. The building is any given prospect. The man in the window is your initial contact. The rock you throw at the building is a cold call, be it by phone or in person. So what, then, is the door? The door is that thing which first connects you with the prospect. It's what gets you the appointment. In this case, it is the World Champion New England Patriots. You're a fan. He's a fan. It creates common ground and gives you something to build upon. As soon as a connection was made, the job of getting in front of the prospect became much easier. What was once an impossible task suddenly became shooting ducks in a barrel. Amazing.

It is important to understand that the door will be different with each different prospect. In other words, no two doors are alike. If you are calling on a prospect for the first time, you need to quickly ascertain the personality style of the person you are talking to, their mood at the moment, and adjust your approach instantly. I will be writing more about these different personality styles this spring, by the way. For now, just grasp the concept.

Ever hear of the Elevator Drill? This is an old concept that asks you to see yourself getting on an elevator with a key prospect for your services. The elevator ride will take no more than one minute, giving you that much time to spin some interest into the contact. Ready? The elevator is closingÖGo!

So, what will you say? How will you find the door? How will you get the appointment? Make no mistake: Your ability to master this skill will determine your success level in this industry. Period. You have one chance to make a first impression and one chance to get the conversation going. The Elevator Drill is designed to force sales people to work on their opening speech. This is the hardest part of the sale, to be sure. To make matters worse, if you are speaking with the prospect via the telephone, you are denied the opportunity to use any visual clues that might assist you.

Finding your door begins with understanding why people buy from you. Your own style might be one of brevity or levity. Either way, go with your strengths. Are you a problem solver? Find out what the needs are. That's your door. Are you sticky (amiable and memorable)? Burst out over the phone and make a friend. That's your door. Did something in their industry or, better yet, company that is noteworthy? Mention it. Get the client talking. That's your door.

When your prospect says hello, you need to be ready. For starters, speak clearly and address them by name. Be careful not to assume anything, however. If the client's name is Cynthia Farquharson, don't say, "Hi Cindy!" As my wife would say, "Only two people call me Cindy, and you are neither of them." If you can't pronounce the last name, ask for clarification before butchering it.

Of equal importance is your own name. Speak it clearly and slowly. The same is true for the name of your company. Next, if you have a referral's name to drop, drop it here. "Bill asked that I call you." That might be your door. Then, get to the dance and state your benefit statement: "I am calling to set up a time to see you. I have a solution that could help your department better target prospects for the new product under your supervision. What I need from you is information. If I can get 20 minutes of your time to learn more about your challenges, I am certain I can be of help." This is a far cry from "I sell printing. Are you in charge of buying printing for your department?" Yawn.

Finding the door and getting the appointment will require a powerful benefit statement, a clear voice, and a fair amount of confidence in your voice. Of course, it also helps if YOUR favorite team wins the big game and everyone is in a good mood, too! How ëbout them Pats?

Bill Farquharson is the president of Print Tec Network. His sales training programs will not only help you find the door but kick it down, too. Call Bill at 800-587-7022 or check out the website he's blown tens of dollars on at www.printtec.com.

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