Congratulations — you just landed a job selling IT equipment to large corporations! You receive your first inbound lead, and you call the person who submitted it. You quickly realize that this person is a junior employee with no buying authority. What should you do?
- Respectfully answer their questions, then mark them as “unqualified” in your CRM and don’t spend any more time on them.
- Treat them the same way you would treat your target persona because there’s a good chance they’re doing research for that person.
- End the call as quickly as possible because there’s no reason to spend time talking to junior employees.
- Ask to talk to their supervisor and see if you can qualify that person as a lead.
Explanation: The correct answer is Treat them the same way you would treat your target persona because there’s a good chance they’re doing research for that person. While the junior employee may not have direct buying authority, they could be an influencer or a part of the decision-making process within their organization. Additionally, they might be gathering information on behalf of a higher-ranking colleague or conducting preliminary research before involving other team members in the purchasing decision. By treating them with the same level of attention and professionalism as you would your target persona, you demonstrate respect for their role in the buying process and potentially lay the groundwork for building a relationship that could lead to further engagement or referrals within their organization. Dismissing them outright as unqualified without exploring their potential influence or role within the purchasing process could result in missed opportunities for future business or valuable connections within the organization. Therefore, engaging with the junior employee respectfully and understanding their needs and challenges can contribute to building trust and rapport, ultimately facilitating a more fruitful sales process.
