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
4 Successful Email Prospecting Subject Lines That Get Opened
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerBefore 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
Are Your Salespeople Still Cold Calling? The Ugly Truth
/in Sales /by Ray RueckerI came across a great article that I DID NOT write but thought it was relevant and had a great message. Enjoy!
(I put in bold the really important parts for those of you who skim articles!)
Cold calling. It sounds so…20th Century.
Some industries still break-in their salespeople by putting them on the phone and having them dial – more than one hundred times a day – and attempt to schedule appointments. You still receive calls like this from new, and sometimes not so new salespeople selling insurance, investments, copiers, office supplies, commercial real estate and long distance phone services. Read more
Silence and Sales Prospecting
/in Sales /by Ray RueckerThis post is not about being quiet and listening to your prospect. Although it’s very important, I want to discuss another form of silence.
We live in a very noisy world. Experts say that we get bombarded with at least 3,000 messages per day, both professional and personal. Read more
Sales Blunder I Made: Naming My Competition!
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerI 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
How Many Contact Attempts Before You Give Up?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting /by Ray RueckerBad 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
Client Testimonial Versus Self Promoting
/in Sales /by Ray RueckerObviously it’s important to sell yourself, your product or service, and your company when you’re in front of a prospective client.
It’s a fine line because you don’t want to come across a pushy salesperson but you want to be persuasive.
If I tell you how great my service is, I may come across as just another salesperson with an agenda.
BUT, if an existing client sings my praises, that’s another story. Read more
Pay Per Appointment or Flat Monthly Rate?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerWhen 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
First Meeting: Face to Face or Teleconference?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy 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
What Happens In Vegas Doesn’t Stay In Vegas!
/in Sales /by Ray RueckerLast week I attended Jigsaw’s 3rd Annual Rainmaker’s Conference for 3 days in Las Vegas. I’m considered a “Rainmaker” because of my ratings and usage. Jigsaw is a community website wiki that was sold for $170M to Salesforce.com. They renamed it Data.com recently.
As you may or may not know, LinkedIn shows you companies, names, and titles of people nationwide and worldwide. Jigsaw provides more often than not direct phone numbers and email addresses of these executives that are pretty accurate. Is it Jigsaw 100% accurate? No, but they are pretty close. I know of many people’s LinkedIn profile that aren’t updated or accurate. Read more
Great Post On Being Politely Persistent
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHere’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