Your father was more on target than those who get caught up in titles.

I’ve always found that the receptionist at 75% of the company’s I called on was the main screener for the purchasers.

I’ve always made sure they got under the radar specials, once they got me in.

75% of the guys I called on said, ” If she lets you thru, you must be worthy of my time. ”

Titles look good on paper, but day to day sales come thru influencers without fancy ones.

* The executive and technical decision makers (not always the same person)
* The people who will be responsible for implementing and supporting the product
* The ultimate users whose work or environment will be impacted by product

There are many ways to reach and inform these different groups — through written materials, sales presentations, articles an industry publications and other PR efforts, etc.

When writing to reach influencers, it’s important to clearly identify the target audience for each document, where it fits in the sales/communications cycle with prospects, and the action or change in perception that should result.

Too often, marketers forget that even executive-level decision makers must internally “sell” a decision to purchase a new product to the people who will ultimately be responsible for using and supporting it every day.

Janice King, Author
Copywriting That Sells High Tech
www.writinghightech.com

Jonathan - Very interesting about the IM folks. It is true that the power of word of mouth is amazing!

Mike - I agree that the receptionist is a gatekeeper, but perhaps not an influencer per the author of this article.

Debra - Very good points you make about treating everyone with respect.

Mike

My father, who was a successful university president, once told me: “If you want to be a success in business, don’t worry so much about impressing vice presidents and CEOs. Make friends with every secretary, mail room person, clerk, and janitor in your workplace. See the work they do as valuable and tell them so. Work alongside them, not from above them. You will go farther, faster, than anyone else in your company.” From my experience, he’s absolutely right. Applying the same principle at any client or potential client’s workplace can only yield positive results.

If a vendor treats her like she’s less than him, he sells us nothing … ever.

I think influencers are different at every office/business.

Who did they target as key influencers? Teenagers with the highest number of contacts on their IM list. They would then seed these teenagers with test samples of new makeup products (girls) or Old Spice products (boys). As a result the teenagers would contact all their friends on their IM list and get them to buy the products when they hit the market.

It worked pretty well and was highly measurable. It just goes to show you that influencers don’t have to be older business executives.