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I'd like to share with you two tips to gain entry into a key account. These are tips I've learned as a life-long salesperson, as well as a professional sales researcher.

Some of you are already using these techniques, and some of you may not be. For both audiences, I hope to offer something new to help you increase your sales.

One of my favorite ways to get a response from a prospect is to speak their language. In other words, know their hot buttons and concerns. One great method to do this productively (and quickly) is to have access to good business news portals.

For example, let's say you're in B2B sales and two of your top accounts are Amgen and Health Net. You want to know what new developments are going on in these companies. That way, you can craft a targeted message that will hit home.

But where to find those good news stories? First, Hoovers is a good source for company news. From the Home page, just click on the News menu tab. Then type in the name of your account and you've have a good selection of news to review.

A few other business news portal I like for B2B sales are BNET Industries, MagPortal and Highbeam Research. Use the search functions on these sites to find good stories for your key accounts.

The second reason I love news articles is for the follow-up process. Let's say that your prospect isn't ready to buy just yet. When following up, instead of asking "are you ready to buy?" every month, try something different. Send them an article that they would find interesting and relevant.

Taking our earlier example about a prospect at Amgen, you could send the executive a relevant article about the biotech industry. Or congratulate them on an award they've recently won.

For example, we found this article that could be used to build rapport with an Amgen executive.

Over time, this kind of practice can benefit you in at least 3 ways. First, you're staying in front of the prospect. Once they are ready to buy, they're going to remember you.

Second, over just a few months, you're going to be seen as a "trusted advisor" vs. just a transactional and annoying salesperson.

Third, you're going to be viewed by your prospect as a subject matter expert. After all, they're going to assume (and rightly so) that you're reading all these stories and staying educated on the topic.

This nurturing practice doesn't take long. And you don't have to do it for every prospect. Just your most important prospects in the pipeline.

In summary, the world of news can be used as a highly strategic resource that's available to you anytime. First, to find timely prospects, and then to keep in touch - in a highly relevant and effective way.

Sales Managers: forward this tip to your team! Salespeople: forward this tip to your colleagues!

Silvia Quintanilla is President & Chief Sales Detective of Industry Gems, a custom sales intelligence company dedicated to helping salespeople win large deals with Global 500, Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. Learn more about us at www.industrygems.com or call us today at 510-745-9956 for a free consultation.

If you sell technology solutions to the Fortune 500, we invite you to sign up for our Sales Gems Triggered Events newsletter at www.industrygems.com (subscription box on top left hand corner). Every month we highlight the best "door opening" news that can help you get your foot in the door at a big account.

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