By now you've heard the cardinal rule of setting solid appointments: Always make sure all Decision Makers are available for the appointment! But how do you communicate and interact with these Decision Makers? Do you tailor your conversations to adapt to the specific characteristics of each DM you speak with? 

When you approach a business and ensure that you're talking to a Decision Maker about setting an appointment, it's important to appeal to their specific qualities by identifying what kind of individual they are and customizing your questions and responses accordingly. According to Miller Heiman's Connect with Executives, "You simply can't win business consistently in today's market without effectively winning the decision of executive-level Decision Makers. And you simply can't win the decision of executive-level Decision Makers if you don't vary your delivery to suit individual executive styles." 

After conducting some research, MH developed a list of categories for each type of Decision Maker: 

Charismatics: MH explains that Charismatics can be misleading; they'll sometimes express enthusiasm about a new idea or solution and later change their minds based on concerns that the solution will not ultimately deliver what's promised. Ultimately, Charismatics focus on "bottom-line results," and they are particularly interested in learning how your solution will make their business more competitive. With tools for e-marketing campaigns and search engine optimization, it's easy to highlight features and benefits that will give any small- or medium-sized business a competitive edge! 

Thinkers:! This category speaks for itself! These Decision Makers are bright and analytical. Appeal to the Thinker's intelligence, MH advises. Provide examples of beneficial ways that a feature can be used, and explain why you think your solution would be a good fit for their business. To solidify an appointment with a Thinker, be sure to explain why a walkthrough presentation with a knowledgeable Product Specialist will help them fully understand what your solution has to offer.

Skeptics: We've all come across a skeptic or two in our lives! Skeptics are concerned with credibility, according to MH. They want to ! trust the person they're working with. A great way to appeal to a Skep tic is by showing them your Sales Presentation Demo CD-Rom! That valuable tool will show the Skeptic that your solution comes from an reputable company boasting thousands of satisfied customers all over the world! 

Followers: This type of Decision Maker will only commit to setting an appointment or making a purchase if they know that it has been effective elsewhere, Miller Heiman reports. If they're unsure about a specific feature, pull some of the research you've seen in these newsletters to prove how effective it has been for other businesses! If they need to see examples of Web sites designed using the technology available through your solution, point them to MASamples.com! Followers are especially easy to work with when they're referrals...that's! why we always encourage you to ask satisfied clients for referrals! 

Controllers: Controllers are easy to identify...you probably know a few already! The "ask and listen" principle is especially important when dealing with Controllers. If they have questions, simply provide the appropriate information without "pitching" or being too pushy. Give them the right information and the control they're looking for, and they'll definitely decide for themselves that they want to set that appointment! 

Not sure how to tell which Decision Maker falls under which category? Miller Heiman suggests you ask yourself a series of questions during the conversation to pick up on their individual qualities. (If your prospect is a referral or someone you already know, it's easy for you to answer these questions in advance!) Take a look at the list and see if you ! can figure out how to answer the question for each Decision Making sty le! 

-How do they make decisions? 
-Do they look at the "pros" rather than the "cons"? 
-Are they systematic? 
-Do they take time when making their decisions? 
-Do they fall in love with new ideas right and left? 

Practice tailoring your conversations with these categories in mind and see how much easier it is to relate to Decision Makers! You'll create greater value in the appointment, generate more interest in your solution, enable your Product Specialist to customize walkthroughs more effectively and-most importantly-sell more sites! 
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Did you know... 

Last week, we discussed some of the latest research by Nielsen Online...we've got more from their blogs this week discussing the "evolution" of online shopping! 

"The way consumers shop for everyday products continues its transformation towards the Web," wrote David Wiesenfeld, Nielsen's VP of Brand Advertiser Solutions Online Division. 

Wiesenfeld offered the following prediction: "In the future your children will likely conduct the majority of their shopping online." 

He adds, "Nielsen estimates that online consumer packaged goods (CPG) sales alone increased 25% to 30% between 2004 and 2008. And there are compelling reasons to believe that growth will continue, a! s overall online sales are projected to increase almost 200% between 2 008 and 2012." 

In fact, Nielsen's predicting a total of $475 billion will be spent in the e-commerce market by 2012. And $16 million of that total is CPG! 

Wiesenfeld attributes the transition to the Web to three major factors: Convenience, choice and value! 

These three factors are becoming more important to Web users every single day! With a professional online presence provided by your Web solution, small- and medium-sized businesses can offer convenience, choice and value...all while increasing their profits and decreasing costs!