Could anyone please offer suggestions for good Sales Pitches for Account Managers wanting to generate new business in IT?

Hi All:

Could anyone please provide any ideas for the following 2 scenarios:

1. You meet the IT Hiring Manager of a company you are prospecting to in the elevator, you have already left voicemails for him and you now have a minute or so in the elevator with this Hiring Mgr. This Hiring Mgr knows your name already from your voicemails. How would you sell your services and perhaps arrange a meeting with this Hiring Mgr.

2. You are given a referral by a consultant who just came off a project and he lets you know there maybe a need for a Java Developer. You have got the name and number for the Hiring Mgr, but cannot indicate to the hiring manager the name of the consultant who referred you to him or her. What would be your sales pitch? The Hiring Mgr does not have a whole lot of time to speak, how would you grab his attention and sell your IT services?

Thanks,
SD

Comment by pam claughton on February 25, 2008 at 2:16pm: The first scenario is tough. I think you just say it's great to meet you. Then you follow up with a voicemessage saying it was a pleasure to meet you and put a face to the name, I'd really love the chance to learn more about your hiring needs as I specialize in ....

The second scenario is much easier. You know there's an opening for a Java Developer. That's your in. You don't have to say which consultant told you, that doesn't matter what does matter is how you're going to solve his problem....when you call him, you call with a rock star candidate who is available and interested in the company and you just say, "I heard that you might be looking to add a developer and wanted to let you know that I have an excellent candidate who is available, qualified and interested in your company." You stress those three things, because too many recruiters say they have a 'star' to get the job, but they don't and then they scramble to find someone. Do the scrambling before you make the call, so then you look like the star.

Good luck!
Pam

Comment by Sonal D. on February 25, 2008 at 4:37pm: Hi Pam: Thanks for your tips. Very much helpful.
Thanks,
Sonal

Comment by Derek on February 25, 2008 at 8:31pm: This is the ongoing battle of any IT Account Managers. The best advice I can give is to be confident in what you have to bring to the table. If you are stumbling on the call, that manager will see right through you and make his decision based on the first 10 seconds of that call.

Both scenarios can be tricky.

#1
Introduce yourself to him and mention that you have tried to reach him. Be honest as to why you were trying to get a hold of them and give him the infamous "elevator speech" but keep it really short. That way by the time the elevator reaches the destination you have already set precedence as to what you wanted out of the interaction - respect (and a follow up meeting).

#2
I agree with Pam on this one... She explained exactly what I would do. Anything to make a cold call warmer helps, so you do not sound like just another IT account manager.

I hope this helps as I have reached out to professionals within this market for advice too.

Good Luck!!!

Comment by Michael Katz on February 25, 2008 at 10:09pm: Elevator scenario: Display IT industry knowledge, then open him by asking him what his needs are.
For example, many front-end java swing developers are moving to the .NET platform. So you could open the conversation with something like. "What are your thoughts on java swing versus .NET?". Most IT managers will bite at a conversation like this and it quickly and immediately shows your competence and insight into current IT trends. Then follow this up with "one of our clients has us working on a search like that." IT managers always want to know what other IT managers are facing. This should give you a nice open to ask him/her what their needs are.

I would agree with the above comment for the second scenario; just 'show up' with candidate in hand all ready to go.