As many Americans have done so this week, I’ve watched the Republican National Convention on television off and on.
Disclosure: I’m a registered independent voter.
As I watched the speeches given by various politicians and speakers, I kind of ignored the political rhetoric and Rah-Rah parts that didn’t have too much of substance to say with specifics. Read more
I downloaded Mark Cuban’s book “How to Win at the Sport of Business” on my Nook last night. Great and easy read so far.
As I’ve chatted with folks across the country, it seems the consensus is that a lot of people and companies are:
1. Cautiously spending
2. Waiting on the outcome of the 2012 Presidential Election
3. Agree that we are in a very skittish and unpredictable economy Read more
In my mind, not much except that outside sales sounds more prestigious than it really is.
I read this article yesterday which I found interesting. Here’s the link: Read more
Before I make a sales prospecting call, I usually send the prospect an email first. Why? 2 main reasons:
1. Some people are more accessible electronically than by phone. (Smartphones, tablets, etc.)
2. A good excuse and context to reach someone via phone. Read more
I was engaged in discussions with a consulting in Seattle, WA about them using my services. They had 18 clients that they acquired through networking, referrals, and introductions. Their networked had been tapped out and they had to come up with an offensive sales and marketing plan to reach out to prospective clients who’ve never heard of this firm.
I had reached out to the CEO and we agreed to talk. We had a few discussions, I gave him a proposal, pricing was in line, and he gave him his verbal commitment. Read more
Bad News:
According to Jill Konrath, founder of SellingtoBigCompanies.com, in today’s business environment, you should expect to contact corporate decision makers at least eight to 10 times. If you’re trying to reach C-level executives, expect to make 12 to 14 contacts before you give up. (Source: http://www.success.com/articles/570-selling-to-big-companies) Read more
When companies inquire about our services, they sometimes ask if Connect 5000 gets compensated by the sales meeting or on a monthly retainer.
There’s a formidable competitor of mine out on the East Coast who charges by the appointment. I believe like $700 a meeting. There’s no upfront fees and they only get paid if it’s a “qualified” meeting. Read more
Happy 4th of July to you!
Can you believe how fast the 1st half of 2012 came and left?
I met with a VP of Sales of a large health benefits organization here in town this week.
She and I discussed whether the first sales meeting should be face to face or by phone. She wanted to target the state of Iowa which can be a 3 hour drive. She’s had success both ways and wanted my opinion. Read more
Here’s a great post from insideview.com, a great resource for sales folks!
In sales, money is made when a salesperson goes beyond the initial cold call. In fact, about 80 percent of all sales are made after five to 12 contacts between the sales person and prospect. The sales person, when pinpointing a potential sale, must dig in. The rep must engage the prospect in a variety of ways, whether it’s through social media or customer referrals, and through several contacts and interactions.
They have to go beyond the age-old art (or archaic practice, depending on who you ask) of the ever-waning cold call. Because sales people have to be constantly chasing a prospect for a sale, they leave themselves room for error. They might get cranky after a prospect won’t bite initially, or they might chase a prospect not worth chasing. Worse, a sales rep might drop a prospect who would’ve bought if the sales rep were more persistent. Read more
You can’t track what you don’t measure.
You can’t improve an area if you don’t know your numbers. Plain and simple.
If you want to improve your free throw percentage, shouldn’t you track the number of made free throws divided by total number of attempts?
Of course. Read more
