With the implementation of one well-crafted sales tactic, Gene surprised himself by making one phone call and getting a meeting with a senior executive. A man Gene and his team had been pursuing for more than one year!

The contract ended up serving the executive so well he had no reason to renew current contracts with eleven of Gene's competitors.

What a day that was! Better yet, the days that follow continue to be lucrative with a steady flow of sales coming from the powerful strategy used that day.

One cold call, one meeting, one $13 million contract ? ba-da bing, ba-da boom!

Play-by-play reports of big sales bring shivers of delight to sales professionals. We meet. We talk. We share our stories of success. After all, that's where we get out jollies! We thrive on closing the deals ... and no one appreciates the sophisticated subtleties of these stories like other sales professionals

The best-of-the-best know that within each story are nuggets of learning that will ?if unearthed and applied ? add greatly to their own success.

Gene decided to try calling this executive cold, without a "warm" introduction. His reasoning was, "I've spent months trying to get a hold of this guy. I have nothing to lose by calling his office myself."

Gene called, spoke with his prospect's executive assistant, and requested a 20-minute meeting.

When the gatekeeper asked the question asked by all gatekeepers, "What's this meeting about?" Gene responded, "I want to know why he's using eleven companies to do what his competitor across town just uses us to do."

Those words prompted the executive to call Gene and schedule a meeting. During their face time, Gene outlined the benefits of: doing business with one vendor in terms of reduced paperwork, having easy access to one contact, and reducing expenses with volume discounts.

That's the sales call that resulted in a staggering $13-million contract.

Yes, such deals are as simple and complex as all that.

There are important lessons to learn from that brief phone message. A few sentences can result in a tremendous increase in your meetings with high-level decision makers.

First of all, Gene called the executive's office and let him know he wanted to meet.

Sounds pretty basic doesn't it? Now, ask yourself, how many executives have you called this week, better yet, today? That's the question Gene asked himself.

For months on end, he and his super sales team worked their contacts hoping for warm introductions right on up the organizational ladder. Contacts who had assured Gene they'd get him and his team in to see the President. Frustration mounted, as those folks inside the company were unable to follow through on their commitments. Twelve months after going down this path, Gene still wasn't in.

When introduced to the concept of successfully cold calling executives, the light clicked on for Gene. He could clearly see a new solution for an old problem. He returned to the office, called the executive, and gave a good reason why the executive would want to meet with him.

Let's take a few minutes here to scrutinize the few words that led to such powerful profits. You'll find several tactics you can easily implement!

* State the purpose of the call ? a 20-minute meeting with the executive. * Leave a compelling message * Speak directly to the executive's interests in bottom line terms with numbers the executive can sink his teeth into.

Then, take note of what Gene did not do. Take note, he did not "burn daylight" elaborating on: * Who he was * The name of his company * What his company does * How long the company has been in business * And so forth ? there was no fluff!

His words, information, and delivery positioned him as an important player in the executive's world. Those very words compelled the executive to act quickly so as to capitalize on a timely opportunity.

Now, it's your turn to give it a go. Call the top executive of a company you've been prospecting for awhile, follow-through with these tactics, and get ready to be awed by the spine tingling stories of success that come your way!

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