Here’s how to win on the phone.

I have to admit, this one was a surprise but it just goes to show that when you stick to principles, it pays off.
The client: a national office and industrial relocation company
The prospect: a company with a 70k sqft office and warehouse building and a scheduled relocation
I reached the CFO of the company who politely but firmly told me that they had already fielded quotes from 3 other movers and were not interested in any more. I pushed and told him that my clients references were the best he would ever see. He responded by saying that the competition also had excellent references. Then I asked for his email address saying that I’d like to send him a company bio and references “just in case”, and he gave it to me. I sent a brief email (with some outstanding letters of reference attached) and a brief note saying that if he’d allow my client to bid I was sure he’d be very impressed. A few hours later his assistant called and asked when our rep would be available to come in and do a walk-through. 3 weeks later, my client won the bid.
The takeaway—you must never accept “no” for an answer. Keep politely pushing; they will respect you for it and it will make the difference between winning the business and going hungry.