Entries tagged with “business development”.
Did you find what you wanted?
Although there are many out there who promise they have found it, there really is no magic bullet for lead generation. When you get right down to it, the best marketing automation tools are the ones that put you in the right place at the right time, that being when the prospect is most likely to buy.
Studies have shown that 2 of 3 sales are made to prospects who have said “no” not once, but 5 times! In fact, someone has to hear your company name at least 3 times before it even registers. One very successful sales rep stated he must leave an average of seven to ten voice mails before his messages are returned. (more…)
Posted by Robert J. Weese under Channel Sales Management Skills
Business owners looking to attract independent sales agents or investment need to provide realistic numbers not the 30,000 foot view!
If you have ever watched the TV show the Dragons Den you will have heard the potential investors crying out, show me the numbers. All too often the entrepreneurs appear before the dragons to pitch their products with failed attempts to woo them with statements of grandeur. The wannabe business people tell the panel of rich and powerful tales of billion dollar market potential and explain plans to capture millions of dollars in sales and they only have to sell to a small fraction of this market.
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Tags: b2b sales, business development, Business to Business Sales, Commissioned Sales Agents, Dragons' Den, Independent Sales Agents, looking for investors, Manufacturer's Representatives, sales agents, sales consulting, sales presentations, Shark Tank
Posted by Robert J. Weese under Sales Skills
‘I hate cold calling”. Have you heard that line a thousand times or more in your sales career? Or how about the promise to “never make another cold call again”. Let’s not forget the ever popular “cold calling is dead”. Of course there are tons of books, articles, blogs and tirades about the death of the cold call but there are still lots of industries where they work and lots of sales people who are very successful because they pick up the phone and dial.
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Tags: b2b sales, business development, Business to Business Sales, call centers, cold calling, Consultative Selling Skills, phone skills, prospecting, telemarketing, telephone sales, warm calls
Posted by Robert J. Weese under Sales Skills
Recently, Susan posted a blog that generated a lot of discussion on the merits of leaving a voice mail. There were numerous comments left debating both sides of the issue. I would like to relay a quick voice mail story that happened at one of my clients this past week.
The clients sales team had long debated the pros and cons of leaving a voice mail message and a few of the sales people decided they were going to start leaving a well crafted voice mail and see if they would be successful.
Two days later one of the rep’s called me up so excited they were almost coming through the phone. He had left a voice mail for a prospect who he had never spoken to at a company on his target list. Twenty minutes after he left the voice mail the contact from the prospects company called him back to find out more about the product he was selling.
Instead of launching into a ‘pitch’ about his product he asked the prospect what prompted them to call. It turns out the client had just been told by a major supplier they would not be renewing their contract and shipments of the products would stop. The prospect pegged the value of the contract at over $3 million and asked for a meeting immediately to disuss the opportunity. Not bad for a 20 second voice mail.
By the way, all the sales team has started to leave voice mails.
AIM HIGHER
Robert J. Weese
Managing Partner
www.b2bsalesconnections.com
Tags: b2b marketing, b2b sales, business development, Business to Business Sales, Canada's Sales Expert, cold calls, phone skills, prospecting, quick sales tips, Sales Skills, sales training, voice mail, warm calls
Posted by Robert J. Weese under Sales Skills
As sales professionals we’ve all most likely had this problem with a prospect at one time or another. They were a hot prospect sending you all the right buying signals and then all of the sudden they switched off. Now they don’t return your calls. They are unresponsive to your emails and you are left in sales limbo.
Do you keep calling? After all when you last spoke they were set to proceed. Now they are missing in action. What can you do?
I would like to share a quick little tip that works well. If you had a good relationship with the prospect and you are willing to take a last shot to see if the person is still engaged, send them an email that says you are going to “close their file”.
Simply state that you have tried to reach them by phone and email and since they are not responding you would like to close the file. Let them know if their situation has changed and they are no longer in the market for your product/service it would be best to close the file and move on.
To see an email template example, download EMAIL TEMPLATE TO RESTART STALLED PROSPECTS from the B2B Sales Connections Free Download Centre
You will be amazed at how many times you get a message back almost immediately apologizing for their lack of communication and telling you the project is still a go but they were caught up in a more urgent internal problem.
Lets face it in the world of sales you can get “yes”, “no” and “maybe”. I want to hear yes, or no because they are answers that give me a clear next step. Getting tied up with the clients who are a maybe can drain you and waste a lot of valuable selling time.
By taking a minute and offering to close the file, no questions asked you will be surprised how many valid prospects let you know they are still interested but not ready at this moment. Most often the person will tell me their new time frame or suggest we reconnect. Armed with their permission to proceed I will reconnect with them when the time is right and advance the sales process.
AIM HIGHER
Robert J. Weese
B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnections.com
In the last few weeks my email in box has been experiencing a new trend. International companies have been contacting me looking for Canadian businesses partner who can import, sell and distribute their products.
These international business people have been watching the recovery of the Canadian marketplace and see it as a great opportunity to expand their product distribution into a country that is not still bogged down in recession.
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Has your trade show budget been slashed? Is your display just a way for your competitors to check you out? No new prospects visiting your booth, only those you invited to the show? Try an open house at your office location instead. It is less expensive, takes less time to set up, and it can be much more effective at closing sales than some trade shows.
Aim Higher!
Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
www.b2bsalesconnecitons.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns
What do Small – Midsized business owners in Ontario need to know about the impact of HST?
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rosalyn Cronin a Certified Management Accountant, author and networking associate. Rosalyn has the ability to take difficult accounting concepts and truly keep it simple for most business people who don’t have a financial background.
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There is a growing movement in small and mid-sized Canadian companies that are searching for ways to connect with recently retired or semi retired business professionals. They are in need of people who can provide knowledge and experience in areas their own management team is lacking.
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Posted by Robert J. Weese under Sales Skills
Well that’s an hour of my life that was painful. No I didn’t have a dentist appointment or spend 60 minutes on the treadmill. I attended a webinar that would put an ADHD sufferer to sleep.
Come on business people are you not getting this? If you can’t create energy or excitement when you are talking about a service that you live and breath then how do you expect your potential clients to get excited or at the very least engaged in your presentation?
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