The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

We all know the goal of a needs analysis is to uncover a need the customer has… not just fill-up a precious appointment with a long list of questions. But when a need first reveals itself during the client needs analysis, should you change course and immediately pursue the revenue opportunity that first need might represent? 

Not so fast.

We can’t remember the last time someone published a reliable answer to the question,"What Keeps Media Salespeople and Their Managers Awake at Night?" So we fielded a fairly ambitious piece of research to find out.

We started with 65 one-on-one interviews in which respondents were asked open-ended questions. We analyzed their responses, and characterized and aggregated them to produce a list of challenges faced these days by sales managers and salespeople in the media. The items on those lists—one list for managers, one for sellers—were then tested among a much larger sample.

As we welcome the New Year, a few of us at The Center for Sales Strategy were discussing some of our favorite blog posts from 2013.

We thought a great way to capture this information was to survey several of the contributors to The Center for Sales Strategy blog and asked them to provide their top posts from our blog as well as their favorite post from other blogs.  It was a difficult decision as we blog 4 to 5 times per week and cover multiple categories: Digital, Inbound, Management, Sales and Talent.

We would like to share these results with you so that you can see what’s on our mind and what we think will be important heading into 2014.   

Happy New Year and thanks for reading The Center for Sales Strategy blog.

There are millions of salespeople around the world… and every one of them is impacted by the simple law of supply and demand. When supplies are low and demand is high, prices are forced upward. When the supply of a product or service is plentiful, buyers on the demand side start chiseling you on price, which has the effect of turning your offering into little more than a commodity.  

So how can you adjust your sales strategy when the supply of almost everything is limitless? 

All of us here at The Center for Sales Strategy have much to celebrate as we close out the year. We celebrated our 30th Anniversary in 2013 with much to be thankful for. We appreciate all of the clients who allow us to play a part in their success. We are particularly gratified when we have a chance to play a role in helping someone improve—because they come to understand more clearly the importance of talent or the power of a sales process focused on creating specific value for clients.

As 2013 comes to a close and we reflect on the blog posts that we have posted throughout the year, it’s always enlightening to see which were the most read and shared. Since we blog regularly about digital, inbound, management, sales and talent there are a lot of blog posts that could make this top 10 list, but of course, only 10 could make our list of top viewed blog posts of 2013.

Think of the thousands upon thousands of sales associates out there; those you compete with directly, as well as those who sell in a product or service category outside your own.

And you want the prospect to meet with… you. 

How to Take Advantage of your Awesomeness

Seems like a daunting request to justify, especially when dozens of those other sellers are clamoring for the appointment you want. Placed in that context, it is easy to understand why—just like any other product or service—it is important that your brand stands out in comparison to the other alternatives. So let’s think of a few ways you’re special (just for starters):

Regardless of race, religion or creed, people all over the world are celebrating during this holiday season. It’s a magical time of year for us all to reflect on what’s important to us, celebrate our beliefs, and join in festivities with our friends and family! 

In sales, this time of the year is also the season for forecasting, budgeting, annual planning, and closing out the year with a bang! Sales directors, managers and salespeople must plan and focus if they’re going to successfully finish out the year, develop their growth strategy for the following year, AND enjoy the holiday season.  

I don’t know how you use your email inbox, but here’s how I use mine. Nothing gets filed until I have responded to or acted on the message in some way. Then, it’s placed into a folder where I know I can refer back to the note later. Usually, I try to keep my inbox down to under fifty active conversations or tasks. 

Recently, I’ve had a hard time getting my email inbox down to a manageable level. In fact, I’ve been hovering near 100, even at the end of the day. It occurred to me that I had several messages that were not pressing at all. They were just interesting, and I told myself, “I’m going to reply to this note or use it in some way when I get time. Eventually, of course, notes like these wind up at the bottom of my email stack (I sort my messages by most recently received). 

Spending time with fewer, more highly-qualified prospects is generally a good strategy. Better prospects who meet your Ideal Customer Profile deserve more time, energy, and creativity in your approach because they have such strong potential. In fact, you probably already know the monetary value of such a high-quality appointment with the near-perfect prospect.

Peter Drucker says "Concentration is the secret to all economic success," and concentrating your appointment-setting activities on ideal prospects always pays off. If you make 40 new business approaches a week, you will accomplish more by communicating five times with eight strong prospects than one time with 40 prospects. Studies show prospects don't even begin to notice you until you make five approaches and many appointments are set after seven touches. Most salespeople give up way before that.

Quantity or Quality?

But sometimes we see salespeople using the quality paradigm as an excuse to make fewer new business calls. New business activity should not diminish because you are calling on fewer prospects. In fact, it may actually increase compared to the scorched earth approach of just smiling and dialing. Under this approach your work is directed toward your best prospects and the work is more likely to secure an appointment.