The Entrepreneur
Maureen Manavis
The Expert
Danielle Kennedy
Founded in 1990, Dayton, Ohio-based ManaVision Inc. develops andimplements communications programs for clients in a variety ofmedia-video, film, multimedia and print. Its client list is solidand includes McDonald's, AT&T, NCR and The IamsCompany.
Owner Maureen Manavis (a former staff producer for NCR'saudiovisual department) operates ManaVision as a virtualcommunications agency. She is the company's sole employee.Independent contractors are used for specialized skills (in video,multimedia and so on) on an as-needed basis. "There is plentyof creative talent available in Ohio and neighboring states,"says Manavis. "Our product can compete with those produced onthe East or West Coast."
The Problem
"Getting new clients and growing the business has been verydifficult for me," says Manavis. "Cold calls are hell. Itcan take me an hour to work up the nerve to make a call. If I'mlucky enough to get someone to talk to me, I still find itdifficult to persuade a prospect to see me. In meetings, my closerate is fantastic. But over the phone, my success rate is dismal.How can I get through to my prospects?"
The Solution
Does Manavis' plight sound familiar? If there's onething most entrepreneurs hate, it's cold calling. We tookManavis' problem to Danielle Kennedy, author of Selling-TheDanielle Kennedy Way (Danielle Kennedy Productions) and arecognized pro at overcoming inner obstacles to selling.
Kennedy's first words are ones of warning: "Many smallbusinesses fall victim to the illusion of security. They forgetthey can lose their existing clients in an instant. That's whyit is so important to always be prospecting for new business, nomatter how busy you are."
Manavis' dislike of cold-calling is typical. "Mostentrepreneurs think it's like being a stereotypical used-carsalesman," says Kennedy. "The antidote is to change yourthinking about cold calls. In fact, they are not cold calls-theyare 'exploratory calls,' where you introduce yourself tothe other person. You don't close a deal in a call. Don'tput too much importance on them."
To make prospecting easier, Kennedy offers a multipart plan:
Build new business development into everyworkweek. "You need to be developing new business twohours a day," says Kennedy. "Most entrepreneurs don'tspend even an hour a week on this, but the really successful onesknow it's essential. Doing it becomes a matter of discipline.You've got to designate time for it every week. It's amatter of survival."
Eat a lot of rubber chicken. Better than coldcalling in many cases is to establish prior, even if casual,acquaintances with prospects by meeting them via professionalorganizations and charities. "I cannot tell you how many bigjobs have come to me through these groups," says Kennedy."Manavis needs to network and do a lot of it."
Be persistent. "What Manavis needs most iswhat many entrepreneurs need to jump-start theirselling-persistence and tenacity," says Kennedy. "Sheneeds to put herself in the mind-set for making calls, just as anathlete puts himself in a mind-set before the Olympics."
To do this, Kennedy suggests, "Surround yourself withletters from customers who are really excited about your product orservice. Put them on your desk or framed nearby, along withpictures of family or other images that put you in a happy frame ofmind.
"Read positive, practical how-to books on 'warmcalling.' Try George Walther's books, Power Talkingand Phone Power [both Putnam]. He also has audiotapes andvideotapes.
"Another strategy is mixing cold calls with calls to pastcustomers-people you know will respond well. After calling a fewpast customers, immediately make an introductory cold call, keepingthe same mind-set you had while talking to your existingcustomer."
Finally, she recommends, "Surround yourself with positivepeople-other entrepreneurs or salespeople who are really good atcold calls and don't see them as a big deal. Associating withfearless and courageous people will help play [cold calls] down inyour mind."
Eventually, Kennedy promises, "You'll learn to flick aninternal switch and get psyched up for making calls. Pretty soon,the calls get to be fun-because you get better and better at them.And that's how you build a successful business that'saround for the long haul."
Dialing for dollars:"Cold calls are hell,"says Maureen Manavis of her search for new clients.
Top Tip
Listen more. Ask more questions. Talk less. You find out amazingthings about customers when you listen.
The older I get, the less stock I put in what I call "salesexhibitionism"-the sales techniques most of us have learned.The customer doesn't care how well you know the snazzy ways tosell. The more mature I get, the more I recognize the importance ofreally listening to the customer. I ask more questions because Ireally want to please the customer, and I won't find out whathe needs if I'm doing all the talking. -Danielle Kennedy
The One That Almost Got Away
As I walked out of the presentation, I knew I wasn't goingto get the sale. My presentation just hadn't clicked. As Idrove home, I said to myself, "It's dead. There'snothing I can do to revive it. Accept it."
The next day I woke up and had a thought. I hand-wrote theprospect a note. But I didn't mail it; I hand-carried it to hisoffice. Speed is everything. I wrote, "Sometimes it's hardto get across what you can really offer in a first meeting. Idon't feel I communicated all I can do for your business."With the note, I included photocopies of several testimonialsI'd received from past customers. I did not expect this to turnthe situation around; I just wanted to do it.
Out of the blue, 10 days later I got a call: "I want togive you a shot at the job." He admitted he hadn't beenthat impressed with my presentation-but my follow-through convincedhim of my determination to do the job right.
Do not give up too early on the deals you really want. Sometimesthe buyer is just testing you to see how badly you want thebusiness. Fail to follow through, and you're showing them youdon't care. Follow through, and you just may get the biggestdeal of your life.-D.K.
ToolBox
SINGULAR SENSATION
Tired of lugging around a cellular phone and a pager to stayaccessible? These two personal communication devices can now becombined into one unit with Motorola's RSVP. The device is anumeric pager built into a cellular phone battery with myriadfeatures, including audio or vibrating alerts, message timestamping, backlit display and memory for up to eight messages. Evenbetter, the RSVP has its own telephone number, so you can receivepages while simultaneously wheeling and dealing on your cellularphone. Cost: $259.-H.P.
VISUAL AID
Sometimes a multimedia presentation that visually explains yourproduct or service can clinch a sale. Canon Computer Systems'Innova Book 475 CDT notebook computer contains an 11.3-inch SVGAdisplay and swift Intel Pentium 100 MHz microprocessor to help youput your best picture forward. The 475 CDT takes advantage of 8MBRAM, 810MB hard-disk space and a quad-speed CD-ROM drive. Plus,your job just got a little easier, thanks to pre-loaded softwareincluding Sidekick for Windows 95, City Streets for Windows,America Online and CompuServe. Cost: $3,199. -H.P.
Contact Sources
Canon, 2995 Redhill Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626,(800) 848-4123;
Mary J. Cronin, cronin@bc.edu
The Glass Protectors, P.O. Box 455, Antioch, IL 60002,(847) 395-9115;
Mark Victor Hansen, c/o Mark Victor Hansen &Associates, P.O. Box 7665, Newport Beach, CA 92658,(800) 433-2314;
Tom Hopkins, c/o Tom Hopkins International Inc., 7531 E.Second St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251, (800) 528-0446;
Danielle Kennedy Productions, (800) 848-8070;
Lightware, 10035 S.W. Arctic Dr., Beaverton, OR 97005,(800) 445-9396;
ManaVision Inc., (513) 299-9982, http://www.manavision.com;
Microtek Lab Inc., (800) 654-4160, http://www.mteklab.com;
Model Office Inc., 4815 W. Braker Ln., #502-332, Austin,TX 78759, (800) 801-3880;
Motorola, (800) 548-9954;
Owen, Koester & Ederer Inc., P.O. Box 6129, Bellevue,WA 98008, (800) 552-3112;
Seraphic Springs Health Care Agency, 28 Emerson Ave.,Gloucester, MA 01930, (800) 777-3595;
Simon & Co., 8659 Holloway Plaza Dr., W. Hollywood,CA 90069, (310) 659-3882;
Symantec, 10201 Torre Ave., Cupertino, CA 95014,(800) 441-7234;
Brian Tracy, c/o Brian Tracy International, 462 StevensAve., #202, Folana Beach, CA 92075, (800) 542-4252,(619) 481-2977.
