Net new prospects can be hard to find sometimes. You scour LinkedIn, Google, local newspapers, and business journals but it seems that prospects are getting harder and harder to find. I know I’ve been there.
It even seems like your networking events aren’t bringing in any new people. The same old faces are all you see. “That guy” is no longer “that guy”, he’s Jerry, and he loves networking as much as you.
You feel stuck and that’s understandable. Prospecting can be frustrating sometimes. However if you take a new approach every once in a while, and know where to look, it can be incredibly easy and lucrative.
Today I’m going to reveal one of my favorite places to find new prospects and how to get client referrals to them. This is going to be one of those tips that is so simple, so completely obvious that you wonder why you didn’t think of it earlier.
That place?…company “team” pages.
What Are Company Team Pages?
Company team pages are the pages on a corporate website that give bios of the company employees and executives.
When writing this post I quickly went to the websites of some of my top of mind clients and was able to find this type of page easily.
Keep in mind that not all of them are called “team” pages though, they might otherwise be known as:
- Meet The Team
- Executive Bios
- Leadership Team
- Executives
- Management Team
- Board of Directors
- Chief Executives
- Senior Management
- Employees
As you can see there are many names for this specific page but almost every company has one. This is where they highlight all or a select few of the employees currently working for that company.
They’ll often list their name, title, and a small paragraph or so about them. Sometimes they’ll even have a picture of that employee. They may all be on one page or have separate pages for each person. They might have contact information, they might not.
The point is that they are very common and a great resource for finding new prospects.
Why Company “Team” Pages Are So Great
So why do I think this is the best place to find new prospects? Well because very often these pages list the past companies that their current employees worked for. And more often then not those companies are in the same industry as your current client.
Highly targeted prospects!
For example you might find a bio that goes something like…
Peter Smith has been the President of ABC Company since June of 2010 and has been an executive with ABC Company since 2007. Prior to ABC company Peter was CEO of XYZ Company where he oversaw their entire property management portfolio including their 2,000 residential units and 1,300 commercial units. Before, as an Asset Portfolio Manager, Peter lead the implementation of a new property management system at 123 Corp during his 7 year tenure there. His previous experience includes working with companies such as Alpha Inc, Beta Corp, Gamma LLC, and Delta Company. He received his BA from Stanford University and his Masters from UCLA.
The above is a pretty common format for executive bios. It lists current position, history with the company, most recent past position with responsibilities or achievements, and education.
It’s true you are more likely to find this information for the higher level executives but I’ve seen team pages with info from the top level executive to the bottom of the barrel intern (no offense interns).
And you might notice all the great information I got from the above bio.
6 Prospects:
- XYZ Company
- 123 Corp
- Alpha Inc
- Beta Corp
- Gamma LLC
- Delta Company
And two really great facts about XYZ Company
- 2,000 residential units
- 1,300 commercial units
Obviously those stats are specific to my property management software industry (and made up) but if you’re on a clients website you’re likely to find information more specific to your industry.
How To Get Referrals To These Prospects
If you look at your own client websites I’m sure you’ll find very similar information on their site. All you have to do next is ask for the referral.
It’s true that asking can sometimes be the hardest part. I remember that asking was the hardest part of marrying my wife. 
Need help asking for referrals? -> How To Get Referrals From Prospects
At some point during one of the many conversations you have with your client bring up your inquiry.
Something simple like:
“Sara, I was looking over your website and noticed that you have experience over at Beta Corp. I’ve been thinking about reaching out to them since I think our products could really benefit their operation. Would you be open to introducing me to whom ever is responsible for these decisions over there?”
There are usually two answers to that question.
Yes (preferable) or no (not preferable).
If they say yes then you’re all set so quickly discuss the specifics and coach them (don’t know how to coach them? Click here)
If they say no, be respectful and understand there might be a very good reason why they don’t want to make an introduction or why it might actually be a good idea that they don’t. Maybe they were fired?
The point is that you want to be assertive in asking but not disrespectful or force them into an uncomfortable position.
If you need an example of a great company team page then check out my company team page….I’m not on there…YET.
http://www.mrisoftware.com/leadership-team
~ Johnny Bravo
Resources Mentioned In This Post
- How To Get Referrals From Prospects
Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Have used information from Management Team and Board of Director bios for about 15 years or more.
It’s the easiest way to get in touch with whoever you want to have a meeting with. Usually it’s enough to call their secretary and she/he will arrange it for you. Sometimes you have to send an email to her first so that she can show it to get an appointment for you to have a meeting.
An introduction is never necessary unless it is a government minister of CEO/chairman of a Fortune 500 company. But even for most such high level ministers/executives you normally don’t need an introduction.
This is a great idea for people looking for a way to increase prospects. If you have researched a company prior to contacting them it shows that you are resourceful and interested in them as a company. Great tips.