The Delicacy of Name Dropping
2-5% of people reply with interest to a cold email. When a familiar name is dropped, it increases your chances of response by up to 468%. Just an opened email is considered a small win in the sales game.
Name dropping in sales must be done delicately. Of course, you don’t want to ruin your reputation by throwing everybody’s name around. You don’t want your original sources to be frustrated with you, who will then spread that around their company. However, when appropriate and with permission, name dropping can be extremely beneficial. You could end up really improving the relationship! Or tarnishing it rather quickly if you aren't careful.
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How to Name Drop
If you can throw in a CEO’s name, your credibility skyrockets. Proving that you have done your research and are not simply looking for personal gain will push your prospects to warm up to you. Providing a familiar name helps prospects feel safe and confident. It helps them to build a connection with you because of that relationship - trust is almost automatic. It can feel like a mutual friend.
Make sure you note that knowing somebody extremely well, a brief acquaintance, or somebody you spoke to on the phone with for 30 seconds, gives vastly different credibility. Being able to say “My great friend Jim said I need to meet you!” is much more beneficial, but make sure that is the truth. Because the sources are commonly checked.
Use Business Acumen Skills to Succeed:
Use your best judgment. You are the expert, you know your clients and your prospects, you know how to best approach each situation. Utilize name-dropping when you can, especially if it is a CEO or CFO that can give you some credibility and prove that you have done your research.
How to Win Sales with Business Acumen:
We love passionate and enthusiastic salespeople! But we've all been on a call when the salesperson is so amped to share their products or services, that they forget to really focus on your company's needs. Continue your learning and read this article:
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