One of the biggest mistakes many inside sales reps make is pitching the gatekeeper. For some reason they feel compelled to pour their pitch on the first pair of ears they get, and, unfortunately, this usually gets them into trouble. To start with, the gatekeeper is just that – someone whose job it is to […]
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 […]
As you burn through your summer, either looking forward to a well-deserved vacation or just coming back from one, you may be looking for a brief diversion from sales. And I have one for you! As some of you may know, in addition to inside sales consulting, I am actively writing the books I’ve always […]
Happy Fourth of July! If you’re looking forward to an extended holiday and want to know the best way to spend it, then I’ve got a suggestion: Why not spend some of it learning and getting better at your craft of sales? Why not come back to the office after the holiday better than you […]
Want the best way to open your closing presentations? Some reps have an entire presentation planned in advance, and then they launch into it, only latter getting to questions and comments. I used to do it that way, until I found that if I got to initial questions or comments (and yes, even objections!) first, […]
If you would like to instantly improve your selling skills—and so your open and close rate—you can do so by taking just a few minutes to complete the following exercise (don’t worry, it’s easy and fun!). What you’ll do is make a list of all the common closed ended questions you ask, and then turn […]
Who do you think knows why your prospect buys? If you have followed me for a while, you may know that my opinion on whether to ask a prospect, “How are you,” has changed over the years. What I’ve discovered, is that asking this simple and socially accepted icebreaker is more important than you might […]
Who do you think knows why your prospect buys? Who do you think knows when your prospect is going to buy? Or who they like to buy from? The answer, of course, is your prospect! The problem for many sales reps, is that they prefer to pitch and talk at prospects more than they actually […]
I hope you’re not making this common mistake when following up on an email you sent: “I’m just calling to see if you got the email I sent you?” While this may sound like a reasonable way to follow up after sending an email, do you see how you’re providing your prospect with the perfect […]
Good morning everyone! I just returned from a “Day of Development” seminar in Charlotte with the Jon Gordon company. Several of his books include: “The Power of Positive Leadership,” “The Energy Bus,” etc. Check them out on Amazon if you’re interested in learning more. There was a lot of great stuff in the meeting, and […]
