Success Books - Konrath: "Selling to Big Companies"

In a previous career my company was a minnow selling services to whales. It was an amazing experience. If you solved the right problems for your clients, it could lead to years of extremely profitable work. But often, it was literally impossible to get a “foot in the door”. For years at a time you might not get past voicemail. But if you did…you might “break the bank”.

Jill Konrath has clearly “been there/done that”, and she is offering two free chapters of her recent book Selling to Big Companies on her website. It is obvious from these chapters that she has intimate knowledge of the delicious rewards and frustrating roadblocks involved with selling to corporate behemoths.

A few points in these tantalizing chapters remind me of some of the tricks I shared in my post " "When Do Clients Change Suppliers?". As she puts it:

Your best opportunity may come when the client has an urgent and pressing need. It may be a “loss leader” project for you; it may seem “beneath you” or even be a huge drain on your time and resources. But it is “a way in” and could lead to huge profits in the future.

Take the crumbs. No job is too small or unimportant fot that first entrée.

Make it easy to buy. Don’t try to sign them up for a lifetime of work. One segment of one project may be all you need.

I have not read Ms Konrath’s entire book, but it is clear she has created a masterful guidebook for entering, and profiting from the corporate labyrinth.

Tech Tags: Jill Konrath Selling Sales