Whether it is in person or on the phone, the initial sales call is critical. Salespeople start building a relationship from the opening words and begin the discovery process that will tell them if this person is a potential customer. These posts can help.
A lot of companies faced with slumping sales have resurrected a traditional sales tactic that has worked for years and still works today.
The tactic is cold-calling, and it’s especially important to step it up in a tough economy, for at least two good reasons:
by Ken Dooley
In their haste to satisfy customers, many salespeople make a big mistake.
In his book, Slow Down, Sell Faster! author Kevin Davis explains why presenting solutions too soon in the sales process can lead to a lot of problems, including:
by Ken Dooley
The strategy of proving to the prospect that your solutions are better than the competition’s may not work, because demand may evaporate in hard times. A better step: creating demand.
The following charts illustrate the difference between responding to demand and creating it:
Whether a “territory” for your company is a city block or a geographic region, you can ensure getting the most out of it by asking three questions prior to assignment:
by Ken Dooley
Prospects want to hear specifics about why your product or service is better. Here are four categories that may help you prove your claims against the competition:
by Ken Dooley
When meeting with customers, should your salespeople emphasize the benefits of your product or service or its solutions?
According to research from Huthwaite, Inc., a sales training and marketing consulting firm, selling a solution to a common problem is much more effective than selling a positive benefit. That’s why effective salespeople position themselves as problem-solvers. They sell solutions, not features, not benefits. And they do it best with a five-step approach:
by Ken Dooley
Frequently salespeople are thinking about what they should or will say at the expense of what the customer is actually telling them. It’s no wonder so many sales calls fall apart after the salesperson misses a key point made by the prospect.
by Ken Dooley
How your salespeople open a sales call is more critical than how they try to close it, according to a recent survey of purchasing executives. Here are four keys buyers look for in an opening.
From sales trainer and author Stephan Schiffman:
by Ken Dooley
The greatest barrier many salespeople face is known as the “gatekeeper,” the one who figuratively holds the key to the decision-maker’s door.
A gatekeeper can be a public relations person, an executive or the company’s receptionist.
Usually the gatekeeper is a valued employee who is charged with screening an executive’s calls and callers.
by Ken Dooley
Ask salespeople to list the reasons why they’re struggling and excuses like the economy, price slashing, layoffs and plant closings roll off their lips. Few of them pinpoint the number-one reason for declining sales.
