Greg Nanigian & Associates Inc. teaches that proximity prospecting—always being prepared to engage—even in casual spaces like airports, can unlock enterprise-level opportunities. However, success requires preparation, confidence, and a willingness to start conversations beyond your comfort zone .
Some time ago I stood in the security line at Logan. I was on my way to Orlando to speak at the National Conference of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Using “the three foot rule”, which says “whenever you are within three feet of someone ask them what they do as they may be a prospect”, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman behind me. He turned out to be the Head of the Central and Eastern European Divisions of L. Hoffman LaRoche. He was in charge of 3600 people including 800 sales people. In case you don’t know, Roche Pharmaceuticals is fifth largest privately owned company in the world. Some months later, as a result of that conversation, I led my first program for Roche in Geneva, Switzerland. They paid a lot for the training on advanced management communication strategies and outside the box thinking but it was a “drop in the ocean” to Roche. Tuygan Goeker, the Head of the Eastern and Central European Divisions at the time, invited me back and this time I trained 33 Country Managers and General Managers on recruiting strategies in Zurich, Switzerland. So, what’s the point?
Okay, here’s the point: 10 years prior, if I had met Tuygan, would I have been ready for the conversation? Honestly, I don’t think so. Yet, many bosses and salespeople want to land large accounts and clearly don’t know how and aren’t prepared, but they continue to hope and try.
So, you think you qualify to sell large accounts? Here’s a quiz to help you know for sure and I’ve put the answers and reasons below:
- A prospect who is listening most of the time is no prospect at all. Is this True or False?
- The way to handle a negative prospect is with positive, reassuring statements: Is this True or False?
- I’m comfortable calling on Chief Execs and do so frequently? Is this True or False – both parts?
The answer to question #1:
A prospect who is listening most of the time is no prospect at all! When people are interested, they’ll be talking. Do you remember a bad date you ever went on? Did you talk more or less than a good date? Also, remember, whoever is talking less on a sales call, is the person who IS in control!
The answer to question #2:
The way to handle a negative prospect is to validate what they say and in fact move them even more negative. If they have pain, they will push back towards being positive. It could sound like this, prospect says, “We’ve had customer relations software for a few years now, but no one is using it, so I’m not going to consider another one right now”. Sales person should say, “That makes sense to me. Did you put a lot of effort into training and implementing it?” Prospect might say, “Well, we should have put more I think”. Salesperson could say, “So, do you want me to close your file on this, or do you feel it makes sense to discuss it further and see if it’s a lost cause or there is a way to get your people using the tool?”. Prospect, having pain would usually say, “Well, I’d like to think it’s not a lost cause, what did you have in mind?” Now, having built credibility and a sense that the salesperson doesn’t “need” the business; the conversation can continue with less resistance from the prospect and move towards closure.
The answer to question #3:
Being comfortable talking to CEO’s comes from at least two things – a healthy self-esteem and knowing what to ask them. Their “Pain” is different than their middle managers’.
If you feel uncomfortable or nervous selling to CEOs get involved in a good goal setting program that builds competence in selling to CEOs. Elephant Hunting requires preparation. Here's a quote from Coach Bobby Knight, “the General”, that explains: "We talk in coaching about "winners" - kids, and I've had a lot of them, who just will not allow themselves or their team to lose. Coaches call that a will to win. I don't. I think that puts the emphasis in the wrong place. Everybody has a will to win. What's far more important is having the will to prepare to win."
Greg Nanigian is CEO of Greg Nanigian and Associates, affiliate Sandler Training. They help companies and individuals how to book more appointments and achieve a higher closing ratio through sales and sales management training. Contact Greg Nanigian at 781-848-0993 or gnanigian@sandler.com or visit www.gnatraining.com.
FAQs
Q: What’s the “three-foot rule”?
A: If you're within three feet of someone in public, ask what they do—it could be a prospect. It’s about treating every interaction as a possible business opportunity go.sandler.com.
Q: Isn’t that awkward in airports?
A: Only if you’re not prepared. Confidence, genuine curiosity, and knowing how to shift to business talk respect social norms and build rapport.
Q: How does this tie into global account hunting?
A: Fisherman mindset: one casual chat today could lead to major global projects tomorrow. Nanigian’s airport conversation directly resulted in multi-country training for Roche.
Q: Do I need to prep differently for talking to big-company execs?
A: Yes. Selling to C-suite requires both self-esteem and tailored questions. Know their pain—executives think differently than middle managers—so prep questions accordingly go.sandler.com.
Q: How do I know if I’m ready for global account hunting?
A: Take the quiz from the post:
If the prospect is mostly listening, you aren’t talking enough.
Negative prospects: validate negativity—let them self-qualify.
Comfort with CEOs? That needs healthy self-confidence and practice
Any casual space—like an airport—can be a global prospecting goldmine, as long as you're prepared, confident, and willing to engage thoughtfully. Use the three-foot rule, have smart questions ready, and be ready to go from lounge chat to international opportunity.
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