Email is becoming a very important business correspondence tool, however few people use it to communicate effectively. Here are some tips:
Keep your email short and to the point. Always think to yourself, what is the purpose of this email? Know what you want and what you are asking for, and then make a short and specific request for it.
If you are responding to an email, always answer every question that was asked. Just before you hit send, re-read the original email and make sure.
Don’t make every email “high priority”. Remember the old story about the child who cried wolf? If you make every email urgent, none of them will be treated as such.
Keep it on a business level. Smiley faces and shortcuts like “lol” are not generally understood, nor are they considered professional. Spelling and grammar also count. Using all capital letters is considered rude.
Don’t copy someone in on the email unless it is absolutely necessary. This just clutters everyone’s inbox and can be confusing for the copied person because they may not be sure if they are supposed to respond or not.
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.
What do your customers have in common? How many employees do they have? What industries do they operate in? How often do they use your product? What related products do they also use in addition to your product?
When you start to track your past successes, you can identify commonalities that help you define who is most likely to buy from you in the future. In doing so, you clearly define your target market, ensuring you will spend most of your time talking to prospects that are most likely to buy.
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!
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.
Prospects buy products based on the perceived value they will derive from those products. However, what one prospect values is not the same as another. They both may buy the same product, but they can buy it for completely different reasons. (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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