I often ask sales people what sales methodology they use…and I often get greeted by a blank stare. So then I ask which sales training they took over their career is the one they use on a day-to-day basis. The answer to this question is often a list of four to five, often well known, [...]
Does Size Matter?
Does size matter? When it comes to prospect databases (a.k.a. “Rolodexes”) the answer is yes, and mostly no. Time and again I see companies who have very large prospect/client databases (a.k.a. Rolodexes) but have very little “relationship strength” with each (or sometimes any) contact in the database. This makes the overall value of the database [...]
Are your sales people Witch Doctors?
Sales is a process. This is one of my most basic beliefs about sales. I have never understood why so many people treat sales as if it is some form of “black magic”. In every other job you are expected to follow a process but in sales this expectation is somehow waived. I cannot imagine [...]
How Many Cold Calls would you like to make today?
Is cold-calling a waste of time? Last month I wrote about Frank Rumbauskas and his program “Cold Calling is a waste of time” This week a saw some data from an article written by Ernest Nicastro that puts Frank’s hypothesis into context. In his article in Marketing Profs, Ernest references some research conducted at Harvard [...]
Do you need an Aspirin after your sales meetings?
What kind of job may require you take an aspirin after a particularly good meeting? Answer: sales. During the last 24 months I think I have held some of my best sales meetings (this is reassuring since I am always trying to improve my own sales skills). Thinking back on these particularly well run meetings [...]
Has your proposal gone to Neverland?
I was reminded the other day of one of the “classic” problems that is experienced by so many people during the sales process – proposals that have “gone to Neverland”. The scenario goes like this…you meet with a prospect and they ask for a proposal; you spend a considerable amount of time developing a proposal [...]
How Many Slides in Your Sales Presentation?
In general, sales people need 0 (ZERO) slides for most sales meetings… The goal of the majority of sales meetings is to have a conversation with a prospect not to make a presentation. The goal is for the sales person to listen. You should be asking questions and listening to the answers. You really don’t [...]
The Champion Trap
How do you get to a senior decision-maker without upsetting your “champion” (who just happens to be one of their reports)? Be aware of this problem from the beginning. When you start prospecting, or when you are following up on leads, keep in mind the ideal profile of the executive who typically buys your solution. [...]
Subscribe to this Blog
