You see that a particular company has visted your website several times in the past few days, so you decide to call them. A receptionist answers the phone. Which of the following would be the BEST way to proceed?

  • Say, “Hi, my name is [name], and I’m calling from [company]. We’ve received a number of inquiries on our website from someone at your company, but they didn’t leave a name. We provide [product]. Do you know who at your organization would be looking into that right now?”
  • Say, “Hi, I sell [product]. Can you please direct me to the person who can help me with that?”
  • Try again later. Receptionists rarely have purchasing authority, and it’s important to focus on speaking to qualified people.
  • Describe the benefits of your offering and try to get the receptionist’s buy-in. Then ask to be referred to the appropriate buyer.