Ep. 6 Alex Garner - Who doesn't love donuts?

OUTBOUND

In this episode of Outbound, host Joseph Lewin speaks with Alex Garner, an account manager at Prosource Technologies, about strategies for building genuine relationships with potential customers before trying to make a sale.

They discuss the importance of prioritizing face-to-face interactions, finding ways to show you care about the customer beyond just making a sale, asking questions to understand pain points, and adapting your approach to connect better with each unique customer. Listen in to gain actionable tactics to establish rapport and trust that pave the way for sales success.

Key Discussion Points:

- Alex brings donuts to school accounts as a way to show appreciation for the staff and build connections, not just push a sale (00:02:22). This gesture has led to hardware sales but more importantly, ongoing relationships.

- Face-to-face prospecting is key - it allows for genuine conversations and makes a more memorable impression than emails or calls (00:06:58).

- Look for conversational hooks in an office to establish common ground, like noticing a Tom Brady photo to discuss football fandom (00:08:20). Getting someone laughing helps build rapport.

- Ask questions to understand their pain points so you can position yourself as a partner focused on their success, not just a vendor (00:10:09). Diagnostic questions help prescribe the right solutions.

- Adapt your appearance and approach to connect with the local context and not appear overly salesy (00:13:13). Blending in helps build trust faster.

Key Quotes:

"I try to lead with some warm donuts and fresh conversations that way." (00:01:51)

"If you can get somebody laughing with you, then they're going to give you 5-10 minutes of their time because you've already built that rapport, that relationship without even having to sell anything." (00:09:04)

"I've always said, if you can get somebody laughing with you, then they're going to give you 5-10 minutes of their time because you've already built that rapport, that relationship without even outside of here's a quote, here's a proposal, here's a solution, here's what I can bring to you as an organization." (00:09:04)