It is wrong to believe that every company can and will buy from you. For example, it is unlikely sell restaurant equipment to retail clothing stores. You could try, but chances are you would just be wasting your time. In the same way that sports fans see mostly beer commercials and Saturday morning cartoon viewers see mostly toy ads, you must target your prospecting efforts. Take the time to review and track your past sales to clearly define your target types of companies. Once you know your targets, spend your time where you are most likely to find them!
Do you carry a portfolio binder with you when you are on sales calls? Make sure you add copies of reference letters, customer lists, and other testimonials. That way you are always prepared to show them and build your credibility whenever the need or opportunity arises.
The ultimate goal of any business is to make a profit. Four years of business school and over 22 years of work experience have taught me that. Absolutely everything a company buys affects its bottom line. Even a pencil that lasts longer or is less expensive than the previous one purchased helps a company to make more profit. Help you customers get to where they want to go by showing them how to your product helps them make more profit!
If you belong to a networking group where everyone introduces themselves to the whole group before you start face to face interaction, then I would like to give you a quick idea. Always have a pen and paper ready when people are introducing themselves. When you hear from someone you want to meet write down their name and their company so you can introduce yourself once the mixing & mingling starts.
If you don’t get a chance to talk to them at the event you can look up the company and call the person directly. Often a personal call a day or two later will net better results than a few minutes of talking at a busy networking event.
If you would like more information on how to create your own unique value proposition for networking and business development I would be happy to send you a copy of Creating Your Unique Value Proposition. Just send an email request to rjweese@b2bsalesconnections.com and I will send you a free copy
Do you track all of your prospecting contacts in contact management program? Make sure you enter every call, regardless if they are a prospect or not. Not only it is important for you to know where to go when, but it is also important to know where not to go.
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.
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!
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!
Successful sales representatives know that proposal templates are a huge time saver when creating quotations. All that should be needed to customize a proposal for a particular prospect is to change the customer information and the financial considerations. Many studies show that sales people only spend about 25% of their time selling. If you have a $1 million quota, your time is worth $2,000 per hour. Use it wisely!
I was recently asked by a sales representative who had made a New Year’s resolution to become more productive if I had any ideas that would help. After some reflection, I could not think of a better resolution to make than to free up more time to sell!
Studies show that sales people only spend about 25 percent of their time selling, with the rest being spent on things such as travel, administration and service. That is actually only ten hours of selling time a week, or only 500 hours per year. If you have a $1 million quota, your selling time is worth $2,000 per hour! (more…)
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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