3Aug/100

The Ugly Truth About Sales

It's a Numbers Game

The ugly truth about sales is that it is, always has been, and always will be a “numbers game.” The more people a salesperson sees (or talks to), the more revenue. Period.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of new, different, and exciting sales tactics promising ammo to salespeople who want to avoid this troubling truth.

Sales is a ratio: Leads to Sales.

  • The more leads, the more sales.
  • The fewer leads, the fewer sales.

Even if you have bad leads, the more of them you have, the more sales you'll eventually make. Sure, it'll be harder, but the ratio still works.

Whether out of fear or laziness, there are some salespeople who refuse to move beyond excuses in order to get in front of more qualified prospects.

We teach that a qualified prospect has five, key characteristics. And the salespeople who fill their funnels with qualified prospects make more sales.

Continue reading...
by Jeb Brooks Tagged as: , Continue reading
19Mar/090

With Every ‘Touch,’ Add Value

In my last blog entry, I promised that I would provide insight into a revolutionary new system that will allow you to be more successful in your prospecting efforts.

Recently, I have heard several organizations express the need to teach their salespeople how to build and sustain more value in their sales interactions. In my opinion, simply telling a prospect or customer how your product or service can save them money, reduce costs or any other number of so-called ‘value building’ statements is not really providing them with any real value. I think such statements are, at their root, self-serving in that they place the entire focus on the salesperson and their products and services. Prospects have heard this same line of mumbo-jumbo over and over so many times before that they immediately want to hide once they start hearing it again.

Is there a better way?

Is there a way to build your credibility from the very beginning?
What about delivering real value to your prospects and customers?

Is there a system that you can implement to help you become a trusted advisor and strategic resource, as opposed to being ‘just another salesperson?’

ValueTouch Prospecting™ is the answer. Every time we communicate with a prospect or customer, we are ‘touching’ them in some way. We must always evaluate if this touch was a positive or negative experience for our prospects and customers. The way to ensure you are providing a positive experience with a prospect is to make sure that your communication actually delivers real value to them. In essence, you must deliver a ValueTouch!

In a nutshell, ValueTouch Prospecting is a system designed to help you create compelling value with new prospects and retain your value with existing customers. Here are six tips that will provide you with a quick overview and get you started on your way to better prospecting.

1) Ensure that every communication with a potential prospect or customer delivers compelling value that helps them do what they do better. The perception of value that prospects and customers place on you, your products and services, and your organization is in direct proportion to the value that you provide.

Example: You are targeting a small business owner to discuss their credit card processing equipment. You provide timely information on “the most effective ways to deal with delinquent customer accounts without having to pay hefty legal fees or tie up too much of your time.” Notice that this has nothing to do with your credit card processing machine product and instead is something valuable that your prospect may immediately use. How do you think you will be perceived by the prospect? Positively or negatively?

2) Focus on building trust, rather than pushing your products and services.

3) Employ blended prospecting/marketing strategies to maximize potential sales opportunities.

4) Update your selling practices to reflect the advancements of Sales 2.0

5) Position yourself as a trusted advisor and make sure you are in alignment with your prospect or customer’s buying process.

6) Take action now to refresh your knowledge of business principles.

If you would like more information on how you can implement ValueTouch Prospecting into your sales process, please click here to download our complimentary white paper entitled ValueTouch Prospecting: Finding and Maintaining a steady Stream of Buyers During Turbulent Times.

Submitted by:
Tony

No Comments
by Tony Smith Filed under: Professional Selling, Prospecting No Comments
19Dec/084

Seven Keys to Highly Effective Prospecting

Recently, I was having a conversation with a client who mentioned that, even in our current economy, his top salespeople were still leading the pack! They were doing so with numbers a bit lower than the previous year. In actuality, everyone’s numbers had dropped across the board, although some drops were more severe than others.

The client went on to explain that some fluctuation was to be expected, and discussed how important it would be to make sure that next year’s goals would be realistic for his team. The conversation quickly turned to why his top people were still at the top even in a down economy.

Were they all the same, or did they share certain attributes that contributed to their success? The common thread turned out to be that his top salespeople were all good at prospecting.

In the case of each stand-out performance:

  1. A formal prospecting plan was in place (tailored to what worked for the individual).
  2. Action was taken to implement the plan.
  3. Personal goals were set (Not by a manger, but by the salesperson).
  4. Regular personal reviews were established to determine if the right results were being obtained.
  5. Flexibility was given to tweak the plan when needed.
  6. The salesperson was disciplined enough to follow the plan.
  7. They had mastery of more than one prospecting technique (there are many different strategies for prospecting; cold-calling is just one of them).

If you will mirror these seven steps, chances are you will find your prospecting efforts to be very effective. When times are tough, the key to success is to have a plan, take appropriate action and remain flexible to course correct if the plan isn’t working. Above all, having the discipline to stay the course is critical!

Submitted by:
Tony

4 Comments
by Tony Smith Filed under: Prospecting 4 Comments
2Jan/080

Prospecting Tips: Direct Value Statement

Can't it be hard to get appointments with prospects? We've all had the experience of leaving phone messages, or networking at events, for prospects we are fairly sure are good ones. I can't give you the magic tool that will make every prospect call back - or accept your next call - but I can make a suggestion that will improve your odds significantly.

When you call a prospect, what goes through his or her mind?

  • Who are you?
  • What do you represent?
  • What's in it for me?

To answer these questions effectively - and quickly - use a Direct Value Statement. What's a Direct Value Statement? It's a fast summary of what value you bring to customers who are like the prospect you're hoping to sell to. It can be used in a voice mail, face-to-face, or over the phone.

Here's an example: "My name is Will Brooks, with The Brooks Group. We assist our customers in the long-term healthcare industry to build their sales cultures and grow census. We do this by providing customized sales and sales management training reinforced with practical, real-world coaching."

See how it works?

My name is ____________________________, with __________________________.

We assist our customers in the _________________________ industry

to __________________________________________________________________.

We do this by _________________________________________________________.

You should practice and practice your Direct Value Statement in your own words so that it flows easily and naturally for you when you need it - whether you're telephone prospecting, networking at an event, or just meeting a stranger at a party.

No Comments
by Will Brooks Filed under: Prospecting No Comments
30Nov/072

The Five Characteristics of a Qualified Prospect

In order to be a truly qualified prospect, a company or individual must meet all five of the following criteria. They:

1. Have a need and are aware of it.
2. Have the legitimate authority and ability to buy or commit.
3. Have a sense of urgency about making a buying decision.
4. Trust you and your organization.
5. Will listen to what you have to say.

Especially in tough times, we all have fallen prey to trying to sell to people/organizations who only meet #5. Remember: lots of people will listen to you, but if they can't buy, or don't want to buy, you'll never get a sale from them.

2 Comments
by Brooks Group Filed under: Prospecting 2 Comments
   Older Entries »
  • Sales Evolution is The Brooks Group's sales and sales management training blog.

  • Join the Sales Community
  •  

Free Resource



I am a:



Popular Posts

Categories

Archive

Meta