What am I, a salesman?
Like any member of an entrepreneurial team, I’ve been doing a lot of cold calling lately. Come on, don’t pretend like you don’t know. Maybe you’re relying on meticulously crafted emails instead, or any one of various other methods…but if you’re in a startup you’re undeniably doing one of these. Contacting others who you don’t know about something they don’t know through a medium for which neither of you planned in advance.
Granted, there has definitely been a significant improvement in my calling ability. What began with me groping for words has turned into a more professional, logical conversation. I’ve developed the pithy speech and upbeat tone of voice that have raided many a voicemail. But my calls sound too….sales-y. Rather than conveying my genuine belief in our service, I feel like I’m emulating the slick smooth-talker trying to get the Acura out of my hands and into yours. But I thought I was in entrepreneurship, not sales?
As I heard about a week ago, I’m not the only one facing that problem. In a talk I attended at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, Professor Craig Wortmann described his years of experience in sales and entrepreneurship, and how their coexistence was vital for success. He had the audience start by listing traits of entrepreneurs (persistence, dedication, confidence…) juxtaposed against those of salesmen (liar and scumbag being some of the more colorful words thrown out). We played perfectly into his hands. His point? The end goal is still getting that Acura into your hands. While he discouraged becoming a sleazeball, the idea was clear – while “entrepreneur” may elicit lofty ideals, salespeople get things done. To be involved in a successful startup, you have to be a bit of both.
That’s where I’m running into a problem. Before I can begin an actual conversation, chances are I’ll be delivering a sales pitch or voicemail. But these introductions seem automated and gimmicky, when I want them to be genuine and honest. I’m obviously not trying to scam anyone – we and our clients believe that our service is definitely beneficial. Somehow, though, I need to be seen as a vendor connecting with potential clients, not a telemarketer trying to revolutionize their internet service.
To this difficult problem, I’ve found a surprisingly simple solution. I’m asking for advice. I’ve found that entrepreneurs are more than willing to help with some ideas. So I figured I should branch out and get a broad range of feedback. I guess what I’m really looking for is a place with a large aggregation of startups, friendly enough to indulge me with some advice.
Huh. I wonder where I’d find something like that.
So please, leave me your thoughts. I’d love to hear some ideas about how I can make these sales calls seem more organic and less verbatim. I definitely want to be a better entrepreneur, but that implicitly involves becoming a better salesman too.
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