You may still be limiting your face-to-face calls because of Covid. Prospecting on the telephone is an essential part of selling even without the pandemic. Here are a few strategies to get through and reach your prospect to get the meeting or make the sale. Get to your prospect when prospecting on the telephone. They’re called gatekeepers for a reason. Their job is to … [Read more...]
Fire a Prospect: When Can You Stop Calling on a Prospect?
Hope springs eternal for most salespeople. I’ve been to too many sales meetings where salespeople repeat week after week, “This deal is going to close soon.” Yes, the word “soon” does mean different things to different people. My thought, when I hear this claim about deals closing soon, is “not likely.” How will you know when the deal you think will close really will or … [Read more...]
Avoid These Sales Mistakes
What do you do? It’s a simple question that you need to answer so that prospects can buy from you and others can recommend you. You will have to answer this question when you make your sales introduction at business meetings, chamber of commerce meetings and other networking events. I see all too often that when salespeople and business professionals introduce themselves they … [Read more...]
Why Targeting Your Prospects Is a Good Idea
Targeting is the selection from all possible potential customers those who are most likely to need and want to buy what you’re selling. It’s not enough to go after an attractive market or one that is large, profitable, growing rapidly or is prestigious. Targeting allows you to exploit your competitive advantage. Targeting works because if you offer a little of everything to … [Read more...]
Sell more by selling to the right prospects
Here's how I know someone is not going to make their sales goals. I ask them to describe an ideal prospect. Their response? Everyone is a prospect! Wrong. Everyone is not your prospect because you can't be all things to all customers. Here's how you can find the customers who you are most likely to sell to. … [Read more...]
Do you want to make your next prospecting call less stressful for you?
I often ask salespeople how they customize their selling. I get nervous when they say that they sell the same way to every prospect. Why? Because customers are different and they prefer you to be like they are, not necessarily how you are most comfortable. That's why the most flexible salespeople are the most successful. Here are some ideas to start with if you don't know how … [Read more...]
Sales Managers Need to Manage.
Imagine yourself at a sales meeting talking about a prospect and your current sales status. You ask for an update from one of your sales team members on Company XYZ and the contact, Mr. Smith. At the next sales meeting you ask for an update. You get a dumbfounded look. Why? There is no Mr. Smith. There are too many sales managers who get sold. What they're buying is an … [Read more...]
Do you really know who your prospects are?
I was at a recent meeting where a salesman introduced himself. He sold data processing services to small and mid sized businesses. A member of the group asked him who his prospects were. The salesman said, “If they breathe, they’re a prospect for me.” That’s when I groaned. Doesn’t this salesman realize that all prospects are not equal? It would take longer for him to sell … [Read more...]