In Top Characteristic Part Eight, we’re going back to cold calling and qualifying to reveal an important skill all top producers possess: Top Characteristic Part Eight: Treat all gatekeepers with courtesy and respect. If you have to make cold or warm calls to prospects, then you probably have to deal with your share of gatekeepers. […]
I’d like to thank many of you for your emails and comments regarding last week’s ezine article on the first characteristic of making a commitment to doing whatever it takes to be a top sales producer. For those of you who are committed, you’ll find your sales and confidence will instantly go up when you […]
Anyone who has to cold call as part of their sales career knows how hard it can be. Many sales reps cringe as they dial a number and wait for the receptionist to answer: “Who’s calling?” “Will he know what this call is regarding?” These and other questions create such call reluctance that it’s no […]
I received an email from a reader who said that he sometimes gets the objection from the gatekeeper of, “I am sorry but he/she does not take outside calls, he/she only responds to emails.” He asked if there is a way to get around this, and my answer is: sometimes. Let’s start at the beginning: […]
Myth Number One: Cold Calling is Dead: A few years ago, when social media and social selling came out (sales 2.0 they called it), there was an almost euphoric sense that spread among the sales community because everyone suddenly hoped (and, some still hold out the hope), that the worse part of their job was […]
Introduction: According to CEOInsights.com, over 48% of inside sales companies surveyed reported that they missed their monthly revenues goals more times in a 12-month cycle than they reached them. Other sales indicators like time on the phone, closing ratios, percentage to monthly goal, etc, pipeline accuracy inevitably suffered as well as sales teams struggled to […]
I was in Staples the other day and saw their promotion using a little red button that says, “Easy” on it. You know the one? They have commercials on it and essentially whenever a business person needs any help around the office, all they have to do is hit this button and BAM! their need […]
If you set appointments by phone, then you know how hard it can be. Getting past gatekeepers, identifying decision makers, overcoming brush offs, overcoming objections, it can get pretty discouraging, can’t it? What if I told you that the hardest thing about setting appointments is often something that you yourself create? That would be even […]
Recently I was asked by a client what a best in class inside sales organization looks like. This got me thinking about all the companies I’ve worked with, and after a while I picked a client company in Canada that I believe is practicing the 5 crucial elements that define it as “Best in Class.” […]
First, let’s start with the real problem which is that most sales reps just don’t know how to really engage and talk to people. That’s really the bottom line. Most sales reps are more interested in pitching their products or services and don’t treat the people they are speaking with like people. A long time […]
