 When you first receive an RFP or start having conversations with a new prospective customer, it’s easy to make a list of everything you know about them (including anything you can easily find out on your own). What’s much harder, if not downright impossible, during those early stages is outlining everything you don’t know.
Knowing what’s going on above the surface might give you a slight indication of the size, shape, and scope of the iceberg lying underneath, but until you dive in and start to explore, you’ll only be guessing at what’s there. The same is true with new customers. Until you start asking questions, forming a relationship, and making an effort to understand what’s going on in their world, you won’t have a full picture of what they really need, what they’re looking for in a vendor, and how you can provide value to them. The answer to each question should provide you with more insight - it should also lead to more questions. While many salespeople will assume they have a full picture after just a little research or hearing answers to just a few questions, you need to keep searching for more. You need to stay curious. You need to dig deeper. Dive Deeper Before the First Meeting. Researching the company and exploring their website is a good first step, but it’s also the bare minimum you can do to learn about the brand. If the company has a physical store, go to it. If they have a branch location, try to visit it. If you know somebody who works for the company, talk to them. Make an effort to understand the experience and perception the company wants to create firsthand. If your research shows that any higher ups in the company, like the CEO, a board member, or somebody on the senior leadership team, has written a book, hosts a podcast, or writes articles, listen to or read them. Even if they don’t share too much specifically about the company, it’ll give you an idea of who they are and the culture they’ve likely worked to instill. Finally, and this is a big one, if the company is publicly traded, listen to recordings of investor calls or shareholder meetings. Hearing the organization’s leadership talk about their future and the direction they’re hoping to head in will tell you a lot about how the company does business and how they make decisions. This will give you invaluable insight into how they might choose vendor partners, like you. The Discovery Process Doesn't Have an End Date. You’ve done the initial research, you’ve had preliminary meetings, and you’ve started to dive deeper. The discovery phase has ended and it’s time to move into the proposal and then (hopefully) the signed contract phases. Right? Wrong. The discovery process shouldn’t have an end date. Not when the proposal is being created, not once the contract has been signed, and not years down the line when the prospective customer has turned into a long-term one. While many salespeople let up on the gas during the proposal process, it’s the wrong instinct. If you’ve made it to that point, you’ve already started to build trust with the customer and they’re likely getting more comfortable around you. That means they’re more likely to open up, give frank answers to your questions, and share information they may not realize could be important. This is the stage where meetings feel less like an interview and more like a conversation - so make sure you continue to approach those conversations with the same curiosity that you did in the first meeting. This is where you start to uncover the true size and shape of the iceberg. You're Laying a Foundation. When you take the time to figure out what your customer values, you’re laying the groundwork for something bigger than a one-time sale. You’re creating a partnership that will continue to bring value to both of your organizations. Your ongoing curiosity matters for multiple reasons. First, anybody who’s formed a true partnership with a customer knows that it isn’t uncommon for a vendor to become a confidant, advisor, consultant, and sometimes makeshift therapist. In these early days, your curiosity and commitment to learning more shows that this is the kind of relationship you’re interested in forming. Second, in the short-term, you’re understanding what solutions they really need. Yes, they’ve already established that they want your products or services, but maybe there is an additional service they could use. Maybe the product they inquired about isn’t the one that is best suited for their needs. Maybe there is a way to create a more comprehensive solution to fill a variety of needs. Hitting a home run the first time you work with them will make them want to continue working with you. And, of course, you’re able to provide more value and be of service, which is what selling is really about. Learn More. Iceberg Selling is a technique grounded in the understanding that for every person, organization, and situation, you can only see 10% of what’s really going on. By adopting the right mindsets, prioritizing building relationships, and approaching customers with genuine curiosity, you can start to explore the other 90% and improve your sales performance. Get the book to learn more about Iceberg Selling.  Most businesses run on cycles. There are times of the year where demand naturally peaks and then lulls in slower seasons. Then there is the ramp up to the busiest months of the year, where the prep work is arguably more time consuming than in the busy season itself.
Why does this matter to you as a salesperson? Because the stage of the sales cycle your customers are in changes what their business looks like, what their customers need, and how you can best provide value to them. During his recent appearance on the Thought Leadership Studio podcast, Karl shares a workshop he did with a sales team that worked in the construction / manufacturing industry. The sales folks had customers like ACE Hardware, True Value Hardware, Home Depot, and other big hardware retailers. They found that, for their customers, the cycle was seasonal. During winter, when the temperatures dropped and snow was falling, so did sales, for obvious reasons. Customers weren’t coming in to get construction materials, gardening tools stayed on shelves, and most equipment needed for outdoor work wasn’t getting purchased because people weren’t going to need them for a while. Of course, in the summer, that same product that was stagnant started to fly off the shelves. Understanding this cycle was important for the sales team for several reasons. If they tried to sell a bunch of supplies that would only be used for outdoor work in warm temperatures, they were a lot less likely to be successful. Even worse, their customers would probably start to feel that the salesperson they were working with either didn’t understand their industry or that they cared more about making a sale than being a partner. Instead, Karl coached them to use the off season to improve their long-term relationships with their clients by sharing information that they’d value. Before the buying season started, they would share information about regional forecasts or weather patterns that might indicate an early start to summer or a hotter or wetter season than usual, as well as trends that may impact their sales. Karl also noted that if the sales teams waited to start upselling outdoor supplies until the weather had already warmed up and demand started to increase, they may end up being too late for the rush. The sweet spot, it turned out, was to reach out to their customers in the early spring to start conversations about what the customer would need in order to be prepared for the rush of summer. Proactively reaching out to customers before the summer began showed that: 1. The salesperson understood the nature of their business. 2. The salesperson had valuable insights into the needs of their customers. 3. The salesperson was truly invested in being of service. 4. That this partnership was providing them value. During his appearance on the Thought Leadership Studio podcast, Karl shared what understanding business cycles has to do with iceberg selling and how it helps you show up for your customers in a way that breeds better connection. Listen to the podcast now on the Thought Leadership Studio website as well as Spotify or Apple Podcasts to learn more!  Your customers, partners, former teammates, and friends are your best advocates - but if you don’t ask them for help, they likely won’t realize you need it. And if you aren’t intentional about how you ask for help, it’s less likely to result in you creating the kind of connections that you’re hoping to.
The key is to reach out to your best connections and ask them to make an introduction to someone in their network (if you have a specific idea about who, even better! But more on that later). It sounds daunting. After all, asking for help, especially from professional connections, can feel like an imposition. However, it helps to remember that an introduction is just that - an opportunity to speak to someone new. You’re not asking for a guarantee of new business or fishing for a sale. All that you’re asking is that an initial greeting is facilitated. Here are the steps. Step 1. Identify your best connections and think about whether they seem like they’d have a relevant network and be willing to make introductions. Consider what industries you want to continue growing in, specific types of events you’d like to pursue, or groups with your target demographic, and reach out to clients who are most likely to have connections within those groups. Step 2. The more targeted your requests for connections are, the more likely they are to result in a meeting with your ideal potential customer. Before you talk with the connections you’ve identified, figure out who they may be able to connect you with. LinkedIn is a great tool for this. Go to your client’s profile and see if any of their LinkedIn connections are somebody you think you could build a partnership with, provide value to, or support. What you’re really looking for here is mutual value. When your customer reaches out, you want them to be able to share why meeting you could benefit the person they’re connecting you with, not just your team. Pro Tip: Use your CRM to manage the entire process by logging which customers you plan to reach out to and who you’d like them to connect you with. Step 3. Reach out to your connections and ask them if they would be open to making introductions to people in their network. If they are, be prepared with 2-3 names of people or organizations you’d like to have them reach out to on your behalf. It may be that they don’t have a close enough relationship with one (or more!) of the names you share to personally introduce you, but it will give them an idea of the types of groups you’re looking to connect with and may give them an idea of who would be a good fit. The initial request for help often feels the hardest because there are so many variables. What’s the best way to reach out to your client? What should you say? How do you approach the conversation? Here are a few ways to get started: Work it into conversation If the client you’re asking for a referral is somebody you speak to and work with regularly, that’s great! Work the request into your regular conversation. Not only is this more personal, it takes pressure off by making the ask feel more casual. Here’s a guide for how you can start the conversation: You: Hey, (client). Do you have a few extra minutes to talk? There’s something I wanted to run by you. Client: Sure, what do you have for me? You: It’s about my business and adding to it with customers that are really good fits. I’ve really enjoyed working with you and your company and thought I would ask if you have anyone in your network that might be a good fit for what we do? Not sure if anyone would come to mind, but thought I’d ask. From there, let the conversation flow naturally! Casually schedule a quick call If this is somebody you have a close relationship with but don’t have any upcoming meetings scheduled, shoot them a quick text. Tell them you have something you want to run by them and ask if they’d have 5-10 minutes to hop on the phone over the next few days for a quick chat. For customers who you most regularly talk to via email or are particularly hard to meet with face-to-face or over the phone, you can also email them your request! Keep it short, casual, and direct. Here’s a template: SUBJECT: Idea to run by you [CLIENT NAME], I hope things are going well in your world. I am reaching out with an idea to run by you. I was brainstorming about ways to find more clients like you and your company, as we are really looking to work with more good fits. I wondered if you might have any ideas of people/companies that you know of that might be a fit for us. No worries either way, just thought I would ask to see if anyone comes to mind. Thank you in advance and I look forward to catching up some time. Best, [YOUR NAME] If they respond positively, make sure to follow up with a few specific names of groups you’d like to connect with. Step 4. After the initial ask, especially if your client responds positively, don’t be afraid to follow up! Even though your customers will likely be willing or even excited to help, it likely won’t be at the top of their priority list or top of mind - so make sure to give them a reminder. Here’s a guide for what you can say: SUBJECT: Ideas for meeting with [NAME] [CLIENT NAME], Thanks for your willingness to help me connect with [NAME]! Let's find a time to catch up and talk through the next steps for making an introduction. I'd love to treat you to breakfast, coffee, lunch, drinks, or dinner. We could also meet up at [X, Y, Z event] or play a round of golf. Whatever works best for you! Thanks, [YOUR NAME] The goal here is to make this as easy (and enjoyable!) for everyone as possible. After all, this client is doing a favor for you, so meet them where they’re at. Reaching Out to a Connection Directly. It’s also possible that your client will recommend that you reach out to the new connection directly, with them copied in case they want to jump in. Of course, in an ideal case scenario, your client is the one to make the introduction. But if they don’t have the time, don’t push them. Here’s what you can say when given the green light to reach out: SUBJECT: Introduction from [CLIENT NAME] Hello [NAME], My name is [YOUR NAME] and I'm friends with [CLIENT NAME] (cc'd here). We've worked together for [X] years doing [type / number of events] across [geographic area]. [CLIENT NAME] thought we could be a good fit. For context, I've been producing and managing AV events for over [NUMBER OF YEARS]. Most of the events I work on are [ADD DETAILS HERE]. I think this is one reason why [CLIENT NAME] thought we could be a good fit. I realize this email is out of the blue, but I've always been curious about [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] and wondered if there may be an opportunity for my team to support your events and help you reach your goals. Here are some resources in case you'd like to learn more about me and [NAME OF YOUR COMPANY]:
Please let me know if you might be open to scheduling a call sometime. I'd also be happy to [list anything of value you can provide. I.e.: discuss your upcoming event, review any proposals you have, be a sounding board for more ideas, share venue resources, etc.] Best, [YOUR NAME] Your primary goals when asking your clients for help are:
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We are headquartered in Colorado with domestic and international teammates and clients. Please use the contact form on this page to inquire about any of our books, podcasts appearances, speaking engagements and workshops, any of our offerings, or simply to connect.
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