If you sell a simple or transactional product where the customer can make the buying decision very quickly, don’t write the price on a brochure when the prospect asks for a quotation. Write the price on an order form instead. Not only will this give the prospect the information he has requested, but it will save a lot of time because the sale will close much more quickly.
The concept of having a virtual sales bench has been around for many years. It has been popularized by the authors of Top Grading for Sales. The concept promotes the need for sales management to always be recruiting because you never know when you will need to fill a vacant territory.
Before you place a job ad and start to interview candidates, ask yourself if you know exactly what you are looking for. What are the sales skills required to be successful at selling your product? What are the personality traits of your top performers? Take the time to clearly define your perfect sales professionals so that you will recognize it when you see them. There is not one definition of the ideal sales candidate that fits everyone, but there is one definition that fits you!
Did you know that business people who read at least 7 business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than people who read only one book per year? Think you don’t have time to spend on your own ongoing personal development? Did you know that if you spend just 10 minutes a day reading, that adds up to over 60 hours a year?
Investing in yourself is always a safe bet!
Prospecting Your Way To Sales Success – How to Find New Business by Phone, Internet, & Other New Media by Bill Good (more…)
Regardless of how expensive or complicated your product is, a written proposal should not be longer than 6 pages. Too much information can actually slow or halt the sale, not move it forward. Your prospect only needs just enough of the right information to make a logical buying decision. Did you need of want detailed blueprints of framing, plumbing and electrical wiring before you bought your house? Neither does your prospect!
“I have more fun and enjoy more financial success when I stop trying to get what I want and start helping other people get what they want.” – Spencer Johnson & Larry Wilson
One thing I hear from sales representatives all the time is “My sales manager tells me I need to do more prospecting calls but the days don’t seem long enough. I am already working long hours each day so I don’t know where I can find the time!”
To survive in sales, finding the time to prospect is not optional! The best way to do this is to arrive at the office Monday morning with your week already booked. (more…)
Have a mindset that you report to your sales team, as opposed to them reporting to you as the sales manager. Ask them what three things you can do to help them service their customers better. If you make their lives easier and make it easier for them to sell, they will do a better job. Customers will buy more, making your whole team more successful. After all, this is what your boss wants anyway, right?
It is dangerous to believe that every company in your target market can buy from you at any time. For example, it is unlikely that you would lease a new car today when your current lease still has two years left. Know how often your prospects buy your products. This is not the same as how often they use your products, but rather how often they renegotiate the contracts for their use. You use you car every day, but you only buy a new one every few years. Knowing where your targets are in their buying cycle ensures not only you being in the right place, but being there at the right time!
Studies show 25% of sales reps produce 90 to 95% of all sales. Clearly, most sales people are not selling up to their potential and not making the incomes they could. B2B Sales Connections wants to change that.
A Sales Compass is a blog where business to business sales professionals can network. Here you will find motivation, share sales tips, and improve your sales and sales management skills. Together, we can all unlock our sales potential.
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