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For the umpteenth time this month I have been asked for insurance sales advice. The writer states, "I realize that I need to get to the Human Resources/Personnel department, but I am always stopped at the reception desk."

That brings me to one of my rules of insurance marketing - HR is not your friend.

Frankly, the human resource department is almost never where insurance or benefit decisions are REALLY made. I've found few HR people who are real decision makers - they can say "no" but they can not say "yes" without approval from someone else.

Salespeople need to market to decision makers. Never sell without the decision maker in the room. You are wasting your time if you do.

You need to work with decision makers on a peer basis; you are their intellectual equal. Decision makers must see you as a valued resource.

If you are working with a decision maker's subordinate, you are not the decision maker's equal. You are a vendor. Vendors deal with underlings and are judged on price.

Scott, one of the hardest things to 'teach' a salesperson is 'when to say when' and to elevate themselves as a 'resource' rather than a sales clerk.

Your point is that when dealing with someone other than a decision maker, the salesperson is reduced to that of pricing clerk, along with vendors who sell copy paper and washroom supplies. There is no opportunity to 'pitch' your peer value to someone who can appreciate what you do.

Under those circumstances, where it's 'impossible' to meet with the decision maker, should the true value oriented salesperson just move on? Prior posts from you tend to discourage chasing the prospect or using 'tricky' ways to actually get to speak to that person (...uhh...can I speak to Mr. Big? It's personal...I have the results of his VD test....).

I've always taken the position that I've got something valuable to offer and if a prospect isn't interested, then I'll move on trying to find someone who is interested.

I am opposed to all forms of cold calling. I hate to get them - I won't subject people to them. To treat someone in a way I don't want to be treated is unethical. Cold calling worked in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Times have changed.

I push my mentor clients to market by becoming "a person of interest" to their marketplace - building a network of key industry people, writing articles, speaking, building referral sources... Become recognized as a resource and the go-to-guy.

The idea is creating a marketing gravity where business is attracted to you.

Marketing gravity sometimes means an HR person (or other gatekeeper) calls. You then determine who the real decision maker is. After dealing professionally with the gatekeeper, if you can not meet the decision maker, you walk away.

You must keep the objective of your process in mind and have strategies and tactics that support your process.