Well, the stock market and many of the great behemoth financial firms that I have sold to over the last dozen years are. Let's say many of us are not in the most upbeat mood right now.
And how does this "macro economic tension" tend to show up in sales organizations? Concern over making our numbers. And that concern over making numbers makes tense sales people. Tense sales people that tend to put too much pressure on their prospects to sign on the dotted line.
”We know more about our prospects (leads) than we know about our current customers” was a shocking statement I heard from a client and it stuck with me. In fact, it's the impetus for this post.
When you have a complex sale, it can be easy to think of lead generation as only a process for acquiring new customers rather than a process that can also be applied to generating new or more business from current customers.
Startling New Prospecting Research: The Product You Sell Matters (a Lot)
By Nigel Edelshain, Sales 2.0
We are keen on data here at Sales 2.0. In our telesales operation we recently reviewed conversion data for some of our projects. From that analysis I can reveal to you today that:
The product you sell influences your prospecting outcomes -- a lot!
OK so that's intuitively extra-obvious. But the way management acts in most companies you would think everything, including a “me-too” product in a very competitive market, could be overcome by the sales force.
Calling Don Diggerman was always painful. Much as I wanted to do business with his company, I dreaded talking to him. I'd sit at my desk, staring at the phone, trying to figure out how I could avoid dealing with that man.
But it was just wishful thinking. The decision rested on Don's shoulders and unless I won him over, one of my competitors would get the order.
When I couldn't delay any longer, I'd close my eyes, take a long deep breath, and then slowly exhale.
...and start obsessing over the decision-making process.
One of the changes in B2B selling is that, instead of decision makers making their own, often arbitrary decisions, purchase decisions today are made through a collaborative process involving multiple people and teams.
This has always been a part of B2B sales, but now it's dominant. The 'decision making process' is now more important than 'the decision maker'.
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Do You Want to be in Sales?
By Garth Moulton, Jigsaw
More than any other corporate discipline, salespeople second guess their current role constantly.
I’m not talking about whether or not they want to quit their current position (that’s everybody). I mean they question if they want to get out of the whole sales racket altogether.
Even seemingly seasoned (the George Hamilton look-alikes with the Rolex) will admit that they would love to go back to school and become a teacher, open a restaurant, crew a crabbing boat, whatever. For those people who are still young enough to do something about it, the ones that have their fantasies of joining the circus get in the way of closing deals, allow me to focus you with a few quick pros and cons of being in sales.
If you disagree with the statement, you're a corporate-centric organization. And you may be one of the reasons only 12% of IT buyers surveyed by the CMO Council believe B2B technology vendors are customer-centric.
If you don't think you're part of the problem, take this little test.
Go to your own web site. What's the first word of the first sentence? If you're like most organizations, it's the name of your company, the word "we" or "our." Now look at the next sentence or paragraph. Ah, there you are again. It's a problem easily corrected, by simply flipping the focus of your messages from you -- to what you do for customers.
Shooting Yourself in the Foot One Feature and Functionality at a Time
By Jim Logan
To what extent are features and functionality relevant to speak about when discussing and selling benefits?
Features and functionality are relevant to the extent they prove your ability to deliver the benefits and difference your customer wishes to purchase.
Whatever you sell – whether a product or service – you are sure to have a range of features, functionality, capacity, and capabilities. All of these are important and at some time need to be presented and discussed - after you’ve established your benefits and set buying criteria.
Cold Calling Academy: Shift from Gatekeeper to Concierge
By Keith Rosen, Profit Builders
In an effort to combat market conditions, I’ve noticed an increase in cold calling activity within many organizations regardless of industry. Here are some solutions to be mindful of for you to use when you run into the barrier that may prevent you from connecting with your desired prospect. The elusive gatekeeper.
Think about your reaction to the word “gatekeeper.” What thoughts does it conjure up for you?
Now, think about the word “concierge.” What comes to mind?
The sky is falling.
We are keen on data here at Sales 2.0. In our telesales operation we recently reviewed conversion data for some of our projects. From that analysis I can reveal to you today that:
