Staying in touch for all the right reasons

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Call Reluctance, Prospecting, Sales Results, Sales Tips

Prospecting is the function and ability to ignite opportunities with new and existing clients, new markets, within communities. Prospecting opens many doors if we are prepared to do it – consistently.

However, prospecting is probably the least favourite activity of people in business. Some people don’t know how to prospect which is a big deterrent to any task. But that can be easily fixed with training and coaching. Even so, others seem to find every excuse under the sun not to call someone.

It’s not the right time. What if they are busy? What if they say …

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unethical-promoters-checklist

Unethical self-promoters walk amongst us – be very aware

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Call Reluctance, Ethics & Values, Prospecting, Self Promotion

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on Unethical Self-Promoters.

Back in 1988, I was introduced to a body of research* that focused specifically on the concept of self-promotion, prospecting, and new business development, and the learned behaviours and attitudes that give rise to the fear of self-promotion and sales call reluctance. This body of research was an illuminating, eye-opening, life changing experience for me in many ways – it was a key catalyst that helped kick-start the work I do today. Since then I’ve had the privilege of introducing tens of thousands of people to this research that includes …

Unethical self-promoters walk amongst us – be very aware Read Post »

I’m in sales, you’re in sales, we’re all in sales

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Brain Science, Call Reluctance, Everybody lives by selling something, Human-centred, Life Skills, Opportunity, Prospecting, Sales Psychology, Selling Better, Success

When my eldest son was eleven, he said to me ‘Mum I don’t believe everybody lives by selling something’. I said, ‘That’s interesting, why do you say that?’ and he started to try to persuade and convince me as to why this statement wasn’t true. So I said to him ‘by you trying to persuade and convince me why this isn’t true, aren’t you trying to sell me something?’ To which he said ‘Ahh, I get it Mum.’

Yes, we are all in sales, one way or another.

If you have ever tried to initiate contact with a person …

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Are you treating symptoms or the cause? Doing sales assessment right

By / / Assessments, Blog, Call Reluctance, Prospecting, Sales Assessments, Sales performance, Sales Skills, Sales Training

The competent carpenter’s saying is this: measure twice, cut once.

We know that selling is a complex role with many moving parts.

Producing great and consistent sales results as a salesperson and team is 80-90% reliant on Lead Indicators – the key Input Activities & Behaviours – the relevant knowledge, skills and mindset around sales & account planning, prospecting & new business development, solution selling & key account management, etc. that we, as professional sales people and teams, need to execute everyday on a consistent daily basis. The other 10-20% is reliant on the right sales strategy, sales processes & tools, training …

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Dear prospects – salespeople are not mind readers

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Buying, Prospecting

Dear (certain) prospects,

We, as most businesses, put a lot of work into making it easy for you to find us when you are in need of our services, and rejoice when you contact us. We are ready to help you -or at least, find out IF we can help you- but alas, we are not mind readers.

To assess whether we can help you or not, we first need your help – we need you to answer our questions.

So when having reached out to us, you act cryptic or scarce with your information, despite us asking you effective questions, we can’t …

Dear prospects – salespeople are not mind readers Read Post »

pool-prospecting-clients-system

We have to talk about prospecting

By / / Assessments, Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Call Reluctance, Prospecting, Sales performance

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Every business needs to prospect for new clients and customers, as well as prospect for new business in existing client accounts. Even non salespeople often need to reignite past business relationships and form new ones, internally or externally. You don’t need to be the primary salesperson or business development manager to benefit from knowing how to prospect well. …

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Where have businesses been exposed during the crisis when it comes to Sales?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, covid-19, CRM, Prospecting, Remote selling, Sales Culture, Sales Results, Sales Skills, Sales Strategy, Sales Training, Strategy

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world in early 2020 it was nearly impossible to imagine the effect it was going to have in our lives and how it was going to affect our businesses and livelihoods.

Since March 2020, we have been tracking what’s happening with a range of businesses across markets and what they are doing, or not doing as the case may be, to adapt their sales processes, sales teams and strategies to stay in business, attract and retain customers, and sell better in the New Normal.

Having engaged with hundreds of leaders, including SME business owners …

Where have businesses been exposed during the crisis when it comes to Sales? Read Post »

Will ‘Selling Remotely’ become the norm for field sales teams post COVID-19?

By / / Blog, Communication, covid-19, Education in Sales, Networking, Opportunity, Prospecting, Sales Meetings, Sales Skills, Sales Training, Success
Will selling remotely become the norm post COVID-19 for B2B and Complex B2C field sales teams?

The early signs say ‘yes’, but let’s take a closer look at what’s happening.

Many things have been tossed up in the air with the advent of the COVID-19 crisis.

Take, for instance, the boom in Zoom meetings on every level – keeping people in touch with each other across the street, suburb, state and international boundaries. It’s something many of us are getting used to.

Whether it’s Zoom, MS Teams, Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp or even the humble telephone, staying in touch and communicating with people is vital …

Will ‘Selling Remotely’ become the norm for field sales teams post COVID-19? Read Post »

What to do when there’s panic in the air…get focused & get selling

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Case study, Life Skills, Opportunity, Prospecting, Resilience, Sales Driven Organisations, Sales performance, Sales Results, Sales Tips, Success

I’ve been around long enough to have lived and worked through major recessions, financial crises i.e. GFC, and general downturns in business and survived, if not thrived during these times. Why?

The clever investors, business and salespeople look at downturns in markets as opportunities to get further ahead. They look at the evidence at hand, the trends that are emerging and see opportunity, when many others see disaster. I don’t mean that these people are blithely skipping through the day oblivious to the challenges facing communities, markets and economies.

The truth is they are probably far more aware of all the challenges …

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What is the correct title for a salesperson? – New edition

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Call Reluctance, Prospecting, Sales Culture, Sales Tips

What is the correct title for a salesperson’s role? What should I call myself?

This is a contentious issue… And a question we get asked frequently.

The answer will depend on why you are asking the question. Are you asking because:

  • You think the title ‘sales representative’ doesn’t adequately describe what you do.
  • You are uncomfortable being called a ‘salesperson’ or ‘sales representative’ for whatever reason.
  • You think ‘salesperson’ or ‘sales representative’ doesn’t represent or position you in the best light as a professional business person to your clients, etc. even though your role involves selling?

    • All of these questions are valid and can present problems …

    What is the correct title for a salesperson? – New edition Read Post »

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