8 fresh, pertinent strategies to land big accounts

Success, a magazine for entrepreneurs and small business owners  features this article that I wrote in their March issue:

Selling to Big Companies: Strategies to Break Through

Do you ever dream of the day when your customer roster includes companies like GE, Walmart, or IBM instead of Ma & Pa, Inc.? If you've ever made attempts to crack into a large corporation, you know how tough it can be.

Plus, it's downright intimidating when you think about it. Those big companies are so huge, that you don't even know where to start. Then you start to question why they'd ever want to do business with your small, no-name firm.

Enough already! Big companies can be virtual goldmines for savvy entrepreneurs. If they like your product or service, they'll eagerly expand their relationship with you. But that can seem like a virtual impossibility when still you're on the outside looking in.

Here are eight fresh, pertinent strategies you can use to set up meetings with corporate decision makers and ultimately land big contracts.

Break big companies down into smaller entities.
Unless you're selling enterprise solutions, you'll find it much easier to get your initial contract if you pursue opportunities in a small subset of an organization. Rather than being awestruck and immobilized by the magnitude of "selling" to GE, you might pursue a relationship with the Marketing department of the Fleet Services division of the Commercial Financial Services business unit.

This enables you to find out the names of potential decision makers, conduct due diligence without being overwhelmed, and implement a customized "getting in" campaign.

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Comments

[Jill]

Love the article! I know several small business owner's who have one or two large companies as customers and those alone sustain their small business. Risky, yes, but a great way to get started!

[Susan Martin]

Terrific article - too often small companies don't understand the importance of outlining a prospect's business problem with the solutions & results they offer. Matching that up with a "triggering event" is a great way to find your way into the right place at the right time.