Getting screened out by the receptionist or gatekeeper is still one of the biggest causes of phone aversion. Questions like, “Will he know who’s calling?” or “Will he know what this call is about?” or “Has she spoken to you before?” are enough to keep any inside sales rep up at night, and the sad […]
Five New Ways of Handling the “Just Email Me Something”
While the method of this stall has changed throughout the years: it went from, “Just put a brochure in the mail, and I’ll look at it,” to “Why don’t you fax something to me, and I’ll look it over,” to now it’s, “Just email me your information, and I’ll look it over,” unfortunately, it all […]
5 Things I learned from Stan Billue
Stan Billue, AKA, “Mr. Fantastic,” is a legend in the world of inside sales and telemarketing. A high school dropout and self-described failure at sales and life, Stan made one of the most dramatic turnarounds ever heard of. He did this by getting a mentor, committing to master sales and deciding to do whatever it […]
Eighteen New Ways to Handle “I’m Not Interested”
Regardless of what kind of prospecting you’re doing – whether you’re calling back in-bound leads who have contacted you, or old accounts who haven’t purchased in a while, or just straight cold calls – you’re still going to get a good dose of the blow off objection: “I’m not interested.” While I’ve provided many different […]
Don’t Say That, Say This!
Sales is set of skills that anyone can learn. If you learn and then practice the right skills, then things will be easier for you, and you’ll have more success. But if you don’t learn and use the right skills, then you’ll tend to wing it and make it up as you go along. This […]
How to Qualify Prospects without Interrogating Them
Qualifying prospects during the initial call is one of the most important things you can do in sales, but for anyone who’s done it, you know that what’s difficult is asking a series of good questions without sounding like you’re interrogating your prospect. Admittedly, there is a fine line between having a dialogue with someone […]
The Two Most Important Qualifiers (And How to Ask For Them)
Based on my last article “A Fresh Prospecting Approach for You,” many people are wondering what the two most important qualifiers are for any given sale. That’s a good question, and I’ll tell you that over the years I think they have changed. In the past, budget was the big stumbling block and the issue […]
A Fresh Prospecting Approach for You
Like you, I get calls every week from inside sales reps trying to sell me their products and services. I used to just hang up on them, noting that I wasn’t missing much as most inside sales people are just not that good at engaging, listening, building rapport, etc. Lately, however, I’ve been listening more, […]
Why You Need Phone Scripts
Everyone has an opinion on whether or not you should use phone scripts when selling or prospecting over the phone. Those who don’t believe in using them cite many reasons including: • Using scripts makes you sound like a telemarketer • Following a script is too confining – you have to “go with the flow” […]
Prospects Hiding Behind Voicemail? Here’s What to Do…
I received the following email from regular reader of my Top 20% Ezine: Good morning Mike, Bob Martin here in Denver. Mike, I wanted to thank you for your e-mails like this one I get from you, I’m a huge fan and have learned so much from you over the years. If you’re looking for […]