Trey Morris, on May 23, 2023
New business meetings are exciting. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of closing deals, showcasing your product, and convincing prospects that you have the perfect solution.
You want to start selling, pitching your product, and showing off your brilliant product knowledge. DON'T DO IT!
Just shut up and let your prospect talk.
The secret to successful sales is not just about talking but also about mastering the art of listening.
The Center for Sales Strategy, on April 24, 2023
For any sales manager, it's incredibly frustrating when their salespeople don’t seem to be able to close the deal. A successful sale often depends on the product and customer knowledge of the salesperson, but what happens when the hard work isn’t translating into results?
Let’s take a look at some of the top reasons why your team may not be closing deals - from common hurdles like difficulty establishing credibility and understanding client needs to more nuanced issues like forgoing preparation time before meetings or failing to ask questions throughout conversations.
Here's our breakdown on how you can help your team move past these sticking points and finally start seeing those eagerly awaited closed deals!
The Center for Sales Strategy, on April 10, 2023
Email is a critical part of a prospecting strategy, as long as it’s used in the ways in which it’s intended for. HubSpot defines a prospecting email as an outreach email a salesperson sends to a potential customer to introduce themselves, their business, and how they can help their prospect.
Email prospecting is not for building relationships, communicating a strategy, sharing an idea, or conversation in general. Create your prospecting email the right way, integrate it into a sound prospecting plan, and then you can dramatically enhance the cold calling process by getting your first close—the appointment.
Emily Estey, on April 6, 2023
So, what is the line between persistent and pest when it comes to securing appointments? Two calls? Three calls? Six?
A national study published in the Harvard Business Review recommends at least six approaches. After six approaches are when 90% of appointments are set. So, how many salespeople make six approaches?
About 4%. Yes, 4%. The majority of salespeople give up after two. To put that into perspective, making six contacts will give you a 70% increase in new appointments.
Dean Moothart, on March 30, 2023
Email continues to be a very effective way to engage with prospects and clients. However, consider these facts (Source).
The Center for Sales Strategy, on March 23, 2023
Most salespeople prepare very carefully for every client interaction. Your preparation will dictate whether you are granted face time for that first appointment (and subsequent appointments), and it will dictate how much information you are allowed to gather in a needs analysis meeting.
But the nature of sales often leads us to focus on our own objectives when preparing; we want the appointment, or we want to learn about a specific objective a client might have that we know can translate into a selling opportunity.
If your customer-focused approach is sincere, there is one question—a simple question that can be asked in a multitude of ways—that can help you gain even greater respect and revenue from this customer.
Michael Mayer, on March 21, 2023
In sales, you need to understand the difference between an objection and an objective. Here are the four most common customer objections that a salesperson will encounter.
If a salesperson is being bombarded by these four questions throughout their initial meeting, then they most likely have more work to do.
Simply put, the salesperson needs to spend more time preparing for the meeting, researching the client, and developing insightful questions to build trust and confidence with the buyer. Objections are easy to overcome if you've done your homework prior to your customer needs analysis meeting.
Dean Moothart, on March 20, 2023
The digital revolution has changed how businesses operate, and the sales industry is no exception. In order to stay ahead of the competition, companies must deploy the latest sales tech stack to maximize their opportunities.
A comprehensive guide to leveraging sales tech stack can help companies identify the most suitable technology for their business and unlock bigger opportunities. It is essential to understand which technology can best support sales activities, automate mundane tasks, and provide valuable insights.
Here's an overview of the types of sales tech stack, the benefits they offer, and how to implement them in your business. With this guide, you will be able to strategically maximize your sales opportunities and drive long-term success.
Sandra Sepaniak, on February 21, 2023
Across all industries, sales managers and account executives spend thousands of hours each year crafting collateral that will support them while they engage with their prospects. If they're particularly astute, they might even try personalizing some of the figures and facts they use to demonstrate why their services are the best options these prospects can choose.
However, just as often, this sales collateral ends up in the prospect's recycling bin. Sometimes, it happens as soon as the salesperson leaves the building.
Kelly George, on February 14, 2023
What could be more complicated than dating?
Just look at the ever-growing array of dating apps and social media stories, not to mention the adventures recounted by our single friends, family members, and colleagues, if you need any confirmation. The search for “the one” is a journey that countless people have experienced -- and many with less success than others.
Sales can feel like a similar process to dating. At The Center for Sales Strategy, we've often drawn parallels between the two. As you are out there making connections and building lasting business relationships, here are a few pitfalls we have learned to avoid.
