After 20 years and 10,000 deals, I’ve seen some great attempts at closing a sale. I’ve also seen some very bad ones. Of course, those bad attempts resulted in losing the sale. But many times there is just as much to learn from someone who does it completely wrong as there is from a pro. Set aside your training guide and meeting notes for a second, and let’s look at seven sure-fire ways to lose your next sale. 1. Don’t…
If you’re a struggling salesperson, it’s easy to think that great salespeople must've been born that way, not made. But nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, some people just have “that thing” that makes them immediately great at sales. But that’s not true for the masses. For most of us, and for introverts, in particular, getting ahead in sales means following a learning curve that builds up to a trajectory that propels you into success. Fake It Until…
What if I told you there’s a secret to sales lead success that’s as easy as 1-2-3? Would you believe me if I said the secret lies in… business cards? You may not see the connection right away, but you will. Business Cards: They’re Not Just Paper and Ink If I gave you a peek into my pocket, you‘d find three things: credit cards, some cash, and business cards. When someone hands me a business card, that tiny card represents…
Sales scripts have been a mainstay for as long as people have been hocking goods on street corners and from wooden carts. Why do they still work today? Because human nature never changes.Essentially, a sales script helps guide the presentation so it hits the right pain points for the audience. The script ensures that you target the message. It keeps the presentation simple and to the point, so you maximize your time with a prospect.Breaking Down a Sales ScriptTake ActionThe…
The prospect you’ve been dying to speak with finally agreed to a face-to-face meeting. All of your persistence paid off, and you’re ready to make your pitch and seal the deal. Not so fast. All the effort you put into getting that meeting is wasted if you go in for the kill too quickly. When you first sit down with a prospect, you need to prep them in order to get them into buying shape. So, let’s say you’ve scheduled…
Innovation is the mark of a successful business, and that holds true for salespeople, too. We all know that most people really just want to be left alone. They don’t want to talk to a salesperson. But they have a problem. And you have the solution. With the overheard selling technique, you can reach the 49 percent of people who are intrinsic, and would rather die than talk to you—even about a product they really need. Here’s a primer on…
To succeed in business, you must live by this mantra: The customer is always right. But does the same hold true for the prospect? Not always. In fact, if your salespeople can learn how to navigate these uncharted waters, and read a prospect correctly, you’ll increase profits and keep your salespeople very happy. Dealing with Prospects Let’s look at this concept through a comparison. When a customer calls in with a complaint, they’re always right. As a business that prioritizes…
If it’s good, you can win a sale or a customer. If it’s bad, you can lose a lot more than that. The elevator pitch has been around for ages, and it’s here to stay. Businesses use it in person, in print and on the web to convey their value proposition to customers. But it’s gotta be good to be convincing—and to catch busy consumers’ ears. Today’s salesperson has to compete with a lot of noise: information overload, never-ending emails,…
In every business, there’s usually that one sales superstar who just blows everyone away with their success. You might wish you could share their strategies with the whole team, right?Well, good news—you can!It's all about creating an environment where sharing is encouraged. Here's a simple guide to maximize your best salesperson:Step 1: Foster SharingStart by setting up regular "mastermind" sessions where team members can share their tips and tricks. Here's how to get them to spill their secrets:Step 2: Sharing…
It’s genuinely difficult to overstate the importance of forecasting your sales. But what if you forecast your sales inaccurately? Every salesperson wants to give good news to their managers about how many deals are closing. And sales managers want to give that good news to the business owners with unparalleled confidence.Getting the projections correct is about much more than just giving the CEO peace of mind that they’ll be profitable at the end of the month. In many cases, it’s…