All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too
Outside in the cold distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl– Bob Dylan
Those words have always given me the creeps. They come at the end of the song and let the imagination run wild. So what do you think happened in the end? Did the guys in the watchtower sound the alarm, or did they shout down to “Open the Gate”? For my money, they poured vats of boiling tar over the horsemen’s heads.
As I was listening to the Jimi Hendrix version of “All Along the Watchtower” the other night I started musing on getting access and whether there’s a magic formula. An image from the Middle Ages of two horsemen approaching in a freezing gale is bound to scare the living daylights out of anyone.
Fast forward the tape to today. You’re working from home, the blinds are half-closed, and nobody can see in. It’s spitting rain outside and murky. Someone dressed in black is approaching your front door. They’re holding a clipboard and have a lanyard around their neck. You tense up around the shoulders. The doorbell goes off and you decide to stay put. They move on – so no need to set the dogs on them. Five minutes later an unsolicited message drops into your email box from someone you’ve never met. You tighten up again, and press delete.
This isn’t a passage from a Stephen King novel, merely a description of a humdrum daily existence. The only way you’re going to let them in or open the message is if it’s safe to do so and genuinely in your interest.
One of the behaviours that I regularly see in early-stage and even established SMEs is that they make offers into organisations without having had any form of access. This leads to a series of disappointments as there isn’t an audience for what they’re selling. They’re in effect making dead offers.
Yes, they have to start somewhere, but they need to be smart about generating the environment and context around them. The only way they will get a chance to do that is to get their prospect’s attention and interest. How do they do this?
There are three areas to work on in order to get access:
Brand
Would you buy from someone you didn’t know? Probably not. If you’re going to pick up something in the supermarket you’ll go to the tried and trusted, or else whatever was in the background on the radio, television or online when you were going about your business. Before a buyer gives any form of access – responding to an email, granting a meeting, or picking up the phone – they will need to be familiar who you are, what you do and feel that there is something in it for them.
Good Reputation
You may have the best product in the market, along with a superb delivery team, but if strange and funny stories start doing the rounds about your business you will begin to struggle. Buyers get iffy about companies once they begin to appear in the news for the wrong reasons. This could be anything from posting poor quarterly results to dodgy work practices and policies.
Great Marketing
I’m old school when it comes to music. I love vinyl and if something is a great piece of art I want to get my hands on a physical copy. Before I buy an album or go to see that band live, I’ll have heard them on Apple Music, read about them in the music press and probably watched their YouTube videos. My friends will also have pushed their music my way. If I like it enough I’ll take out my wallet and show them the money.
Great marketing makes buyers aware of what’s on offer and along with brand and reputation is one of the precursors to them granting access.
In order for a buyer to give you the business they must know, like and trust you, and paying attention to your brand, reputation and marketing will go a long way to getting them to lower their drawbridge.
What now?
If you’re struggling to get access to a prospect and would like to have a chat, click on the link below. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. If you want to get a quick assessment of your current business development fundamentals and strategy click here.
