How to sell to corporates

Here Mandie Holgate shares how to build corporate relationships to enable your business or charity to work together.

In the last 3 days I’ve been asked for 24 meetings!

(I only give my face-to-face time to coaching clients and to INsiders before or after a networking event – I learnt long ago and this may sound harsh that “If you have no money, head to my free resources*.”

Yes, my coach is harsh, but they’ve ensured I make a profit every year since I started trading many years ago. And with Lupus restricting who gets my time respects my health too. It’s a win win for me, my time management, and my profit.

On top of that I’ve had over 30 requests with help to get in front of corporates and get them engaging with or working with a company/charity.

And it’s too many to list how many that have asked “Hey Mandie, if you know anyone that could benefit from….”

Yes, I’ve an extensive network.

Yes, I could spend my days helping everyone for free, but I can’t get free food, free holidays, or free KPop concerts any time soon.

And yes, I could help with all of these, but alas while I’d do anything for INsiders, at £25 a month I have to have my limits but fear not. If you are an Insider, I will find a way to help you.

So read on to understand how to get corporates to want to talk to you and work with you.

Remember that the amazing offer you have is one of many that will be trying to get in front of that business. You have to have a hook that makes the corporate think…

This one different!

So how do you do that?

What’s in it for them?

Most contact leads with “We are awesome at this”, and “You will love what this product does”, but you’ve missed a vital step in the process. You are not entitled to share anything until you’ve done something that made yourself useful, relevant or interesting to that company.

So, banging on about your great organisations, products and services turns them off and gets your email deleted before paragraph two.

What matters to them?

What issues does that company face? Are they considered vanilla and dull in the world of sexy marketing? Can you make them look good? Help them get in the press with good news stories? Help them look like they care? Can you do that on a £2.50 budget?

(Well maybe a bit more than £2.50 but you get the idea.) What pain points do they have and does your opening gambit hit them between the eyes and make them think “Wow this is us!”

Do your research and list companies with active programs that fit your remit maybe focused on entrepreneurship, education, or community development. These organisations are more likely to invest in initiatives that support business growth. Help them look good!

What do they suck at?

Sorry, but we all have things that we aren’t great at.

Do they have a lousy digital presence? Can you help them look good online? Get them lots of target audience followers? Help them create UGC (User generated content -if you read our in-depth trend report you will know the importance of this – 30,000 pages condenses to 29 pages with all the links to prove your data. Not written by AI, but researched, studies and processed by someone who gets humans and reviewed by 2 global experts – learn more here.

What do they align to?

Not all companies have the same vision, mission or ethics. Look for ones that match yours. To get through the door and past the gate keeper you’ve got to match up to them.

How do they promote themselves on LinkedIn?

Is it the same on Facebook and Instagram?

What words do they use?

In coaching we call this mirroring; by using their words in your content both in your messages, email and content that you aim for them to see match their style of communicating to connect – be mindful that too much just looks plain weird so get the right balance – we can help you with that. As you write your content, lead generating letters, emails post them to INsiders and tag @Mandieholgate for mentoring and feedback.

A great way to achieve this is with our INsiders, Organisation for Responsible Business, represented by Jill Poet. Small companies can stand above competitors and gain big contracts if they can help companies fit their own ESG policies.

What stats and facts would hook them?

Can you highlight how supporting small businesses aligns with their own CSR objectives, such as enhancing social mobility and community development? Studies indicate that socio-economically diverse organisations can outperform others by up to 36%. If you read the Trend report, you can get the exact links to include to prove your research!

A big mistake people make is going blind on to LinkedIn or to a networking event but never bother to fully leverage their existing network. Even if I can’t spend my days asking 58,000 people if they want to work with you, by ensuring I know who you want to work with and sharing that with Insiders as well, means you’ve hundreds of organisations working on keeping your organisation on their radar.

If you make it a broad request, you are unlikely to get the result you want. Who else can you ask? Who else can you email and say “Did you know we need an X for this project, do you know anyone? Even if you don’t know anyone could you share this post on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram etc account? Thank you.

Where do they go?

As an example, Sam Wood is an Insider and a over 50’s resilience expert who is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. Now if you want to be in the right room. INsiders know the right rooms to be in!

Sam’s event has sponsors handing over £12,000 to £250 to be promoted on their tiny 4-person boat – think tin can on the ocean riding waves bigger than houses and doing your daily ablutions in a bucket while eating slop out of a foil container. Their ball on the 4^{th of} July is nearly sold out and I for one will be there.

Do I love dancing and networking?

Absolutely but the biggest reason to be there, other than to support Sam is to network with global companies over great food – relaxed happy people like to ask that golden question “What do you do?” I’ve had thousands of pounds worth of coaching out of that question at a barbeque or party! Remember you never know who someone knows – so be in the room. Join Sam and I at the ball here.

Another event worth attending is Business Junction – we have a professional relationship with this exceptional City based high end networking so ask us for discounted tickets and sometimes we can even get some free tickets! Only for INsiders of course. Learn more here.

What proof?

When I’ve helped INsiders access funding it’s been imperative, they can showcase how and where the money is spent and the outcomes it achieves. Images are great for this but in my experience the INsiders who are actively offered more funding (without even asking for it) are the ones that have a robust blog that shares the story of results.

Put together such a compelling why that they can’t ignore it. If you aren’t a great writer – don’t’ rely on AI. I am an AI lover but right now it’s getting things wrong, encouraging bland, copycat marketing material and you also need to consider your data protection policies etc too. So, write from the heart – that always pulls on emotions which makes people act!

If you are not good at this, learn how. A good blog makes a big difference to your digital marketing results. Think SEO, think keywords but don’t get bogged down. I’m no SEO expert but my blog is read, actioned upon and leads to tons of work, opportunities, PR and even a book deal – need a hand writing exceptional content – click here. I can teach you how to excel at blogging. Just ask.

Talk about it?

I am fascinated why business owners talk about one thing on social media and then something else in their elevator pitch and then something else on their blog and then something else in conversation – it has got to match up. If your primary goal is to get a corporate on board and you have a sharp vision, goal and plan to achieve this then this is what you talk about – everywhere. Make it synonymous with you so that everyone knows.

When I set up the BWN, I wanted to be known for business on a national level – within a few years I was on think tanks for the government, Bank of England quarterly meetings, Institute of Trade and Industry events, national news, radio and all the newspapers – think bigger.

If you don’t ask you won’t get. As one charity who has been working with me to get more corporate ambassadors on board if you don’t ask then you won’t hear 1 of 2 words – yes or no.

Ask. As one client says, “I am not comfortable in doing that, so I just channel my inner Mandie and just ask!”

Go back and ask again!

This is a tricky one but worth persevering. Did your email actually land on their desk? Was it a bad time? Go back 3 to 6 months later and tell them about your progress, give them some fresh trends that will make them think “Mmm this could be useful to us.” Remember channel your inner Mandie!

Wish list?

I worry I sound harsh when I say I can’t meet 1 2 1 with hundreds of INsiders at £25 a month but I am a small business (Just as I like it) yes I work with very big companies and yes I do actively tell them about INsiders and clients but I have my limitations as we all do, so what will make me keep your wish list on my radar?

If you aren’t in the room, even the virtual INsiders room I am more likely to forget about you. I do my best not to and some projects / charities / aims are aligned to my own, so they are easier to remember, but even then, I need reminding. So, tell people your wish list and check in to see if they still know it!

No is not no, it’s no not now.

Catch someone on a bad day and they say no. This is more than just ask again. Make sure its crystal clear the benefits of working with you for them. Not about what you can offer, but what they get. The results.

Additional ways I can help you – this is so important and lastly;

I do feel guilt when I say I can’t have a meeting but will do everything I can for INsiders – everything! So, here’s ways I can offer additional support immediately;

1. Via INsiders for free – tag me there and I will help and the best bit, you will get support, ideas and advice from Insiders. You will also be raising awareness and networking with Insiders too. Remember – keep your needs on their radar and don’t assume they know because you posted once! They genuinely care about each other – so have the confidence to speak up – I can support you with that too!
2. Come on board as an affiliate and we will find you the business https://www.thebusinesswomansnetwork.co.uk/affiliate-opportunity/
3. Email coaching – £150 an hour and I clock watch – this works very well to enable me to look at what you are doing where the gaps are, how to alter communication and what to do get in front of corporates and get them ready to say yes! I reply within your email. It’s rough and ready, I don’t waste time checking grammar you can do that yourself. I will look for the emotional hook ups too and I won’t sugar coat it I’m afraid – its’ fast acting. And you don’t pay per hour you pay for exactly how long I help to the minute!
4. 1 2 1 coaching – you get everything you need to sell to corporates – £500 for a 2-hour session – 10% discount for insiders. And if you don’t benefit, you don’t pay.

This article is just for starters so let me know how you get on and I will add more.

Who is Mandie Holgate?

Mandie Holgate is the Founder of BWN Insiders, and a best selling author of Fight the fear – the 12 biggest fears that impact on success, and Taking Control Of Your Mind, an international speaker and coach that facilitates the mentoring and training of INsiders. *