3 Easy Ways To Contact Small Business Owners Well

(doylc.com) How to Contact Small Business Owners - There are three different situations in which you might speak to a small business owner: on the phone, via email, or in person. Each situation offers its own set of challenges and benefits, but all share a common goal of getting the owner to do something for you. Wondering how best to get in touch? Read on for a step-by-step guide to contacting owners to start productive conversations and build strong business relationships.

• Contacting the person via cold calling

Set goals that focus on your interview and pitch meeting opportunities. Instead of using your cold calling to make a sale, use it to determine if the business owner is a potential customer. Set yourself goals like these:

- Testing demand for the product or service you offer.

- To see what price customers will pay for that product or service.

- To see what will be the main objections to your product or service.

Create a script that you can follow. You need to grab your customer's attention as soon as possible. So if you figure out what you're going to say beforehand, your message can be succinct and compelling. Your script should only be about 30 seconds long. You don't want to read from the script; You just want it to be your guide.

Your script should have an introduction that acts as a friendly greeting. Greet your prospect by name.

After the greeting, a connecting statement should follow. Show appreciation for a recent company accomplishment.

Next, tell them why you're calling, communicate your offer.

Explain why your product or service can help them.

Finally, let them know what you want from them.

Relax and then call. If you have multiple prospects (and you most likely do), set aside at least 2 hours to go through your call history. Have nothing in front of you but your call log and your script. You want to give your potential customer your full, undivided attention, just as you would like the customer to give you theirs.

• Messaging of the owner by email

Write a subject line that summarizes the email. This line should make the purpose of your email clear in a few words. Cross out all filler words and put the most important ones first. You want to make sure the importance of the email is prioritized. Remember that the reader should know everything that will be in the email without ever having to open the email.

If you are following a meeting, say you are following a meeting.

When you're marketing something, state what the reader wants to take away and how you're going to deliver it.

If you are applying for a job, provide the job and your name.

Make the body of the email concise. Chances are your recipient is busy and doesn't have time to read through a long email. Keep your sentences short and sweet, and delete any information that doesn't relate to the topic of the message.

The best way to write the email is to answer the questions "Who am I?" "What do I want?" "Why am I asking this person? "Why would they do what I am asking them to do? "What is the next step I/she/we need to take?"

Write a conclusion to your email. Degrees contain words or phrases such as "Best regards," "Best regards," and "Thank you." When these are used depends on the purpose of the email.

"Best regards" is a more formal ending and one to use when you know the name of the person specified.

"Best regards" is also formal, but is used in a more general context—when you don't know the person's name.

"Thank you" is more informal, but is used to show a recipient their gratitude for something they've done for you in the past.

Proofread your email before sending it. You want to make sure you maintain your credibility. Most if not all business owners will completely ignore your email if it is full of errors. If possible, have someone else read it before sending it.

• Personal conversation with the owner

Start with some small talk. The best way to get what you want from someone is trust, and that cannot be established by first asking them to do something for you without getting to know them a little. Reach out to them, show polite and caring gestures by complimenting them and showing genuine interest in what they are saying.

Tell them what you're up to by having a conversation. Establish your goal, once you've both had some time to get to know each other, share your goal with them. What services can you offer them? Why should they care?

Having documentation to follow throughout your explanation is a great way to get their attention.

Ask open-ended questions. Some questions will be practical in nature, others are just for clarity as both of you will feel more comfortable communicating with each other.

Follow them afterwards. If your meeting ends without a firm commitment, don't think they're not interested in your proposal. Make yourself stand out by sending a thank you email for the appointment. If your customer has asked for more information, make sure you send it to them as soon as possible.