How to Target Decision Makers to Book More Meetings

As salespeople, we know that it is all about finding the right people to sell to.

Your product or service won't see much traction if you're selling to the wrong person: a dog breeder won't buy a cat to breed.

Your prospects are specialized and have particular roles. Respect it by fitting your messaging to them and by targeting the right role.

Let's learn how!

Let's start with the basics – what do we mean when we say, Decision Maker?

They are obviously someone who makes a decision, but for us in sales, the decision is focused on the sale.

Decision Makers are figures or roles in companies that will have the deciding vote on acquisitions, expansions, or investments. They are the ones who ultimately decide if they will buy what we are selling.

Without them in your corner, you can kiss that commission goodbye.

As salespeople, the one we want to talk to and book the meetings with is the Decision Maker. Sometimes we go through others, convincing them of the offer before arriving at the Decision Maker. These people are known as "Champions" because they champion your product or service to the Decision Maker.

Ultimately, however, you want to charm the Decision Maker specifically. And to do that, you need to book a meeting with them specifically, so long as they meet your Ideal Customer Profile.

If they're not a good fit, the sale won't go through.

But what is an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?

This is how we refer to the customer or prospect that is a perfect fit for your product or service.

Your offer is always a solution to a problem that exists in your market or industry. There is someone that needs that problem to be solved – the sooner, the better.

These are the people your ICP should reflect. They should also be the Decision Makers in your industry, or as close as possible to having that buying power.

The fewer hoops you have to go through, the better.

Factors to consider when researching to build your ICP are:

• Geography: Where do you want your buyers to be located?
• Role: What role do they play in their company? What kind of problems do they face on a daily basis, and how does your product or service fix them, if at all? What are the problems of the company are they in, and how does that affect their use of your product or service?
• Title: What is their seniority? How likely are they to have buying power based on that seniority?
• Company Size: Does company size impact how likely they are to be interested in buying a new product or service? Does your product or service match larger, medium-sized or smaller companies best?
• Company Budget: How much does the company make? Have they been seeded? How likely are they to spend on your solution?
• Industry: What industries need your product or service most desperately? Whose problems can you solve?
• Current Clients: Who are your current clients, and how do they match the above? What can they tell you about their problems and why they invested in your product or service?

These are the questions to consider when building your ICP. You can narrow it down even further if you need, depending on how niche your offer or target market is.

But without a clear ICP that you've researched and been successful with, you will find that you struggle to sell.

To set those important meetings with Decision Makers, you need to know exactly who to look for, and why they need you.

And by sending the right folks the right content, you also avoid firewalls and being marked as spam!

You have to always keep in mind what you should and shouldn't do when interacting with these Decision Makers. Let's take a look:

Don't assume you know what they need and how your product or service fits without doing research

Presumably, you have already done research when conducting your GTM strategy.

If you haven't, do not reach out just yet.

Assuming what the prospect you are targeting needs without conducting research is a huge mistake. You need to understand how your solution fits into your prospect's industry if you want to position yourself advantageously and sell.

If you cannot demonstrate your knowledge of the space you're in enough, your prospect simply won't trust you. And that Decision Maker will never agree to a meeting.

Do take time to do your own research on the industry to position yourself and your approach

Instead, take some time to do additional research into the ICP you're given.

Learn about the industry your product or service fits in. If it's a variety of industries, figure out how your product or service offers a solution across the board.

But keep it simple and clear whenever you interact with your prospect – do not promise too many solutions or have too many Call To Action's (CTAs).

This will only serve to confuse and drive them away.

Remain focused and to the point throughout your outreach, demonstrating you have a full understanding of what you're selling and how it will make their life easier.

Don't send all of your leads the same messaging

But while your product or service will make the lives of several prospects easier, you should not send them all the same message.

Messaging is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Different prospects will react differently.

It's impossible to always predict it with accuracy, but there are some clues as to who may react more positively than others.

A marketing executive is more likely to enjoy meme-related outreach than a CFO. Prospects of different generations may react differently to cold calling.

Going after everyone with the same approach and messaging will only make your job harder, not easier, as counterintuitive as you might think it is at first.

Do personalize and segment email messaging

By personalizing your messaging just enough, you demonstrate that you understand the prospects and their specific needs.

Not simply those of the industry as a whole.

Segmenting your email campaigns based on role, generation, location, and industry are all ways to ensure success when interacting with prospects and Decision Makers.

And it helps keep your email healthy as well!

Don't limit yourself to one sales channel

When targeting or interacting with Decision Makers, then, you do not want to limit yourself and your possibility to engage with them.

As we saw above, generations may respond differently depending on your sales channel or outreach strategy.

Never expect them to adjust to you, instead, adjust to them.

Do use an omnichannel approach

Airbnb famously went and looked for their prospects on competitor Craigslist.

They figured out where they already were and went to them.

You need to do the same.

Anything from LinkedIn courses to online events to a phone call can work. Simply keep trying new things that make sense based on your understanding of the ICP and the folks within it.

Don't go right into a pitch without considering their time and situation

Decision Maker's have a lot of responsibilities and tasks to complete.

You disrupt the flow of their day, no matter the approach you take. It is part of outreach through sales.

But how you disrupt that flow is important.

Pitch-slapping or going right into a pitch without considering your prospect's time or current situation will not get you a meeting.

It's more likely to negatively paint you and your entire company to them.

Instead, focus on building a relationship with your prospect.

Do respect their time and listen to your prospect

Demonstrate you respect their time and are knowledgeable by inviting them to tell you about the difficulties they currently face.

Build a relationship with them over the problem they face that your company can solve.

Through this process, you will also finalize qualifying them to see if they're indeed a good match for your product or service.

And they will associate you and your company with a positive, sensitive encounter that demonstrated knowledge about the industry they're in, their role and responsibilities, and an interesting solution to existing problems.

Making the connection with a Decision Maker is incredibly important and incredibly difficult.

But it is not impossible.

We hope this blog provides you with some guidance to help you book more meetings with them.

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