I had a landscaper install a new sprinkler system the other day, and as we stood under the warming sun waiting for his crew to set up he asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was a sales trainer (this is the easiest answer as for some reason as soon […]
How to Build Instant Rapport with “C” Level Executives
I was asked by a client to make some cold calls into an upper “C” level suite to set appointments for his outside sales team, to show the inside team how it’s done. His inside team first of all had trouble getting these busy people on the phone, and then getting past the first paragraph […]
How to Overcome the “We are Handling That In House”
If you are trying to set appointments for an outside sales team, or even if you’re trying to generate leads so you can do an over the phone demo later, then you know all about put offs and stalls. While I’ve previously discussed the common ones like, “I’m not interested,” and “Just email me something,” […]
In Sales The Most Important Thing to Say is….
I know, it’s a catchy and kind of a trick title, isn’t it? And when I ask audiences what they think it is, they guess things like: “Asking for the sale!” “When would the customer like delivery?” “How many units do they want?” Things like that. All these are good guesses – they are all […]
Asking for Help is a Great Way to Get Information
Everyone loves to be helpful. Because of this, you have a great opportunity to learn more about your prospects and clients if you learn how to ask the right questions at the right times. Here are some examples of how asking for help, at the right time, can give you a treasure trove of useful […]
How to Develop an Effective Elevator Pitch
Many inside sales reps (outside reps, too!) struggle when trying to describe their company, products and services, in a succinct and compelling way that engages a prospect and makes them want to hear more. Instead, a typical opening delivered to an unsuspecting prospect usually sounds more like a monologue meant to repel interest and generate […]
5 Ways to Get Better at Handling Objections
I coach a lot of sales professionals, one on one, in individual sessions every week. Sales managers, business owners and also individual sales reps who are committed to moving into the top 20% or op 5% of their profession. Prior to working with someone, I send out a “coaching intake” form that they fill out […]
How to Requalify Existing Prospects and Clients
One area many sales reps struggle in is how to requalify existing accounts, or prospects they haven’t spoken with in a while. Let’s first establish the need to do this, and we’ll address exactly how to do it. First let’s acknowledge that all things change. In fact, someone once said that the only thing that […]
A Better Approach Than, “How are you today?”
Nothing signals a sales call more than that worn out opening, “How are you today?” As soon as you ask that of someone you’ve not spoken to before, their immediate thought is, “Oh, here comes a sales pitch from someone I don’t want to talk to!” If you don’t believe me, think about your own […]
How to Qualify for Interest
Today it seems to be harder and harder for sales reps to qualify for interest and to identify buying motives. One thing making this so difficult is the decision tree: often there are many different levels of decision makers (committees, bosses, regional managers, corporate, etc.), and sales reps often just skip any attempt to qualify […]