'What sales methodology do you train?' It's not unusual for me to be asked this in a networking scenario. I notice, for some reason, that the question really makes me bristle. I understand where it's coming from. People want proof or reassurance of some sort that my sales training will work - and for them … Continue reading ‘What sales methodology do you train?’
Category: Sales
How can you improve your chances of getting a buyer to say 'YES'? It's often said that sales is a numbers game but it doesn't have to be that random. If there is a clear need - and virtually no risk - you've cracked it! There are some great books and pieces of research out … Continue reading How to get to ‘Yes’
In a perfect world we would always know – and have agreed – the next step with a prospective client. However, hands up, I don’t live in that perfect world and I suspect many of you don’t either! For various reasons sales conversations can stall. It may be that we took our foot off the … Continue reading How to reconnect with prospects
With only 10 days till Christmas Day, unless you are in retail, it could be tempting to think that business is done for this year. ‘People are winding down’ ‘They won’t make a decision before Christmas’ ‘No one is talking about 2021 yet.’ For some this might be true. People are tired, it’s been a … Continue reading Why it’s not too late to sell this year
There was a time when life was simpler. When the marketing team were about customer avatars, crafting key messages, getting in front of the right audience with advertising and PR and creating promotions to drive customer trial and sales. What was left for sales to do was the relatively simple task of converting! Of course, … Continue reading Where does marketing end and sales begin?
Prospects can be frustrating. We have all had the experience of thinking that the business is in the bag and then what comes next is radio silence. They appeared keen to meet and find out more about our products and services. We burned the midnight oil to prepare a proposal and then – nothing. So … Continue reading How not to follow up in sales!
A traditional view in sales and marketing is that we have to choose between a high volume, low quality lead generation formula and a high quality, low volume alternative. But is it not possible to have a third option – both high quality and high volume? We think there are ways of getting closer to … Continue reading Volume or quality in sales – or both?
‘I’m not selling you anything.’ ‘I just want to ask you a few questions.’ ‘It will only take a few minutes.’ It is not unusual for any of these to be the introduction to a telesales call. They can be perfectly polite but they are still not a good start to a sale. However, for … Continue reading Earning the right to be heard in sales
It’s a question I have often been asked in the context of working with teams to improve their business development processes. 10 years ago I would have said that you can probably train most people in the skills to sell, however, that doesn’t mean they will use them. Negative perceptions of sales, an unwillingness to … Continue reading Can Anyone Be Trained To Sell?
We may not normally think of vital signs when reviewing and planning our business but what if we did? What would we notice and would it be useful? Here are a few for each of the key business areas. Do any of these ring true for you? Finance Margins are so tight that any unexpected cost … Continue reading Know your vital signs