Every shop has its challenges, but a shop with a specific target person can be even more difficult. Once you’ve finally reached your target by phone, you’re halfway there. To successfully complete the shop, however, you’ll also need to meet with this person for the onsite visit. So how do you work to ensure you meet with that person when you arrive? Here are a few tips to help make sure you hook ‘em onsite:
1. Set an Appointment During the Call
Unless the specific shop instructions state otherwise, your first line of defense is to agree on an appointment time with the target during the call. You’ll need to wait until you’ve been invited to visit and then you can work on narrowing down a time. A great way to do this is to respond to the invitation to visit by saying something like, “Sure! When would be the best time for me to come in and meet with you?” Be careful not to press too hard on the call about meeting with them or you might give yourself away as a shopper. If they don’t invite you to visit and it looks like the call is coming to a close, you can ask how you can go about taking a look at something.
2. Call Ahead
If you end up scheduling your visit for a different day than the call, you should call ahead briefly on the day of the visit to make sure they are in the office. You can use an excuse such as wanting to confirm the address or say that you will be a few minutes late or early. When you call, you can ask to speak to your target, stating you have an appointment with them for that day. If you are told they are not in the office that day, you can say you were calling because you need to reschedule and say that you can call back. This will give you an opportunity to call again to reach the target and reschedule.
3. Ask for Them When You Arrive
You may be greeted by someone other than your target when you arrive for your visit. Make sure to let that person know you had spoken to the target person and that you have a scheduled appointment with him or her. This way they will not assume you are a walk-in prospect and attempt to help you instead.
4. Appear Open to Waiting
Sometimes you’ll follow all the steps above and be told that your target is not back from a tour or lunch or is on a call. In these cases, the key is to appear easygoing and open to waiting. Let them know you don’t mind to wait for his or her return. In the event someone else insists on helping you even after you offer to wait, go ahead with them so you don’t jeopardize your identity as a shopper. (Of course, you’ll want to review the shop’s special instructions to make sure there are no other client directives on how to handle the visit.)
If you do end up having to meet with someone else, be sure to note in your report that you were passed off, noting the reason you were given. Then, make sure to score the onsite portion of the report for the person who ended up providing the tour.