Categories: Differentiation | Sales Conversation
Your Challenge Understanding the best way to differentiate against your competition is critical to being an effective salesperson. The “Do Nothing” competitor is always one of the toughest. Who has instant access to the decision maker? Who is always part of the sales opportunity whether you are or not? The dreaded “Do Nothing.”
Share
Categories:
It’s no longer a bold statement to say that your organization needs to be in the social game if you plan to achieve optimal sales productivity. Social media helps sales organizations drive pipeline by (1) engaging with buyers earlier in the sales cycle, (2) maintaining relationships with current customers and (3) demonstrating valuable market insight. Eighty-seven percent of decision makers in B2B sales organizations spend time researching products and services on social media. Just like having a website in the 1990s, buyers are now judging the legitimacy of an organization based on their presence (or lack thereof) on social media. Research shows that salespeople who use social media are more successful, but how does a sales organization begin to embrace social activities as part of a sales process? The first step is to recognize that social selling isn’t your magic bullet.
Share
Get the latest tips and advice delivered right to your inbox.
Categories: Sales Conversation
Occasionally salespeople will sign up for the challenge of trying to sell me something. This doesn’t always end well, but is usually entertaining. I’ve had a few recent experiences with SaaS software providers trying to sell to me and I found myself thinking about John Kaplan and his comments around Seller Deficit Disorder. This common “ailment” encompasses two of the biggest complaints buyers have about sellers: You don’t understand my business. You don’t listen.
Share
Categories: Sales Planning
When our clients come to us to improve their sales planning processes, they often have a misdirected focus. As a result, they’re dealing with a waterfall of problems: Reps frequently missing quota goals Inaccurate revenue forecasting High percentage of deals closing late in the quarter Inadequate territory & account penetration
Share
Categories: Sales Conversation | Sales Discovery Process
When I deliver Command of the Message®, one of the questions I am asked the most involves discovery. I think one of the keys to effective discovery is preparation, but I also believe there are some learned skills that help salespeople master the discovery component of a sales process. I’m from Cleveland (Go Browns!). And, like many college-aged students, I worked at Cedar Point in the summer. (For those of you who may not be aware of this Ohio wonder, it’s a giant amusement park, consistently voted #1 in the world.) It was a great place to work, especially when you were young.
Share
Categories: Sales Conversation | Sales Process
Positive Business Intent is one of the most important assets a seller can leverage throughout the sales process. The point was driven home when, after announcing a career change, a client said to me, “With your departure, we’ll have to reevaluate our relationship with your company.” The client went on to say that my approach of always putting his business first was the key reason they did business with me and my company. I never forgot that lesson.
Share
