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The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

"We're Ignoring You." (Don't Give Up!)

don't give up strategy for salespeopleWe're ignoring you. 

You know it's true. You've always thought it to be the case, but now you have confirmation. Prospects are ignoring you! And how I do know this? 

I'm a reformed client. 

Topics: Needs Analysis sales strategy Sales prospecting

Technology Has Changed the Way Your Prospects Buy

technology-change-the-way-prospects-buyTechnology continues to advance at lightning speed. It’s these advancements that change the way we live our lives. It seems that new technology impacts just about every aspect of our life.

The way we communicate – from phone calls and letters to texts and social media.
The way we consume entertainment – from going to a theater to streaming content on multiple devices.
The way we travel – from hotels and taxis to Airbnb and Uber.

Our work life is not immune to these advancements.

Topics: sales strategy sales performance sales process prospecting

5 Free Resources to Prepare For a Needs Analysis Meeting

free resources for a prospect meetingIt is not an easy task to set a needs analysis meeting with a new business prospect. Think about all the things you must do to earn the meeting...

Here’s a typical scenario:

  • Identify prospects.
  • Qualify and select the best prospects.
  • Develop a valid business reason.
  • Professionally and persistently pursue the prospect.
  • Connect and set the meeting.

Some prospects take even more time and energy than the scenario listed above. The last thing you want to do is show up to the meeting unprepared! 

Topics: Needs Analysis sales strategy Sales prospecting

Get that First Appointment — Master Your Approach

first appointmentHave you ever felt like taking a “Wild Wild West” approach to securing your first appointment? Think about it… if only it were appropriate to ‘lasso’ your prospect, ‘tie him down’ and force him to stay engaged so that you may cordially introduce yourself, establish credibility and politely present your value proposition. Honestly, if you could just get his undivided attention for 5-minutes… you know he’ll like you, and you know he’ll be intrigued and perhaps even excited or anxious to learn more, right?

Personally, I have indeed toyed with the idea (more than once) of taking the Wild Wild West approach to securing that first appointment. Fortunately wisdom intervened, because I’m certain I would have been greatly misunderstood and most likely thrown in jail if I had decided to draw from my Texas ancestor’s tactics and put those thoughts into action! Needless to say, my understanding of acceptable social behavior and, well… modern law kept me from utilizing an Outlaw Josey Wales sales approach.

Topics: setting expectations Sales prospecting

The Impact of Bad Email Etiquette on Sales + 7 Tips to Avoid Clumsy Mistakes

email etiquette for salespeopleRecently, I've had a few run-ins with bad email etiquette. Not just in a quick email thread from a co-worker (I'll admit, my email etiquette gets sloppy in this arena), but I've received emails from salespeople attempting to get me (the marketing manager) to subscribe to their software, utilize their platform, or allocate some of my budget to their product, and all had major email etiquette issues, misspelled my name, or included verbiage that clearly showed me we aren't on the same wavelength. I also received an email from a potential candidate for a freelance writer that included major grammatical mistakes... WHAT!? 

Topics: email Sales prospecting

Is There Anything Else We Should Be Talking About?

sales managers and salespeople should ask this questionA simple question, right? Yes. But, very powerful. So many salespeople and sales managers have well-planned, beautifully-executed meetings, but inadvertently leave some of the most useful information on the table simply because they forget to ask this simple, shared-control question that can reveal the real priorities for the person with whom they are speaking.  

Topics: key account growth prospecting account list management

Sales Prospecting Tips from A to Z

sales prospecting tipsProspecting for new business is vital to the sustainability and growth of almost every business,  especially in today’s economy. And, whether you’re selling a service, product, or idea, it’s important to balance new business development (or prospecting) initiatives with key account development and growth. Following are sales prospecting tips from A to Z to guide and encourage you as you work to secure that first appointment.

Topics: Sales prospecting

Weekly Roundup: Sales Weaknesses That Cripple a Sales Rep's Ability to Qualify + More

weak salespeople ability to qualify when sales prospectingWe hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and today we're sharing what we've been reading online this week! Here are our "best" from around the web.

Topics: Lead Generation Inbound Marketing Sales Wrap-up prospecting

Why You Might Fire Your Best Prospect Before You Get Your First Meeting

why would you fire your best prospectWith a blog title like that, you may be questioning my sanity. Why would you want to fire your best prospect before you've had the chance to even get a meeting? I assure you my thought process here is sane and relates to a problem I see many salespeople face. Sometimes you hang onto prospects, even the very best prospects, too long and it becomes a waste of time and misguided focus that could better serve you to work on other leads.  

Topics: Sales prospecting

What Does Your Body of Work Look Like To Prospects?

prospecting for salesTHE BOTTOM LINE: There is only one reason why a prospect fails to respond to your calls or emails.  She or he is not convinced you will bring any value to them, and thus, your request for a piece of their precious time gets ignored. If they only knew what you have been able to do to help your clients! The problem is they don’t know.

Topics: prospecting