Networking is a fundamental part of building sales. I've been blitzing my networking lately with Linkedin.com and I've been blown away with it. If you're not already part of it, go to www.Linkedin.com and get registered right now! Although some may say that it isn't worth their time, I'm here to refute that statement. If you're willing to use Linkedin as a tool to help locate people who have fallen off of your radar screen, then this is the tool for you. This is exactly what Linkedin is best at: helping you connect with people you've lost touch with. The power comes from hooking back up with people from your past and using them to help introduce you to new contacts. For me, with just a few hours of work, I've developed several new strong business leads and a large number of leads with long-term potential.
By the way, be sure to reach out to me on Linkedin and together we'll both expand our networks!
Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com
Showing posts with label prospecting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prospecting. Show all posts
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
A Question Recently Posed to “The Sales Hunter”
“I recently got a job offer as a sales manager at a car dealership and tour/travel agency company. My sales team is small, but experienced. I would like to know whether you have any sales tips in how we may try to reach our segment of the market.”
First off, I’d identify who your target customer is. It’s very easy to start trying to reach out to what you believe are potential customers only to find out there is no chance they’ll ever buy from you. Secondly, I’d find out what it is you do best and what your current customers say they like about doing business with you. Third, match up what your current customers say they like about you with the profile of your perfect customer. Your objective is to find the key benefit new customers would be most drawn to.
After you’ve done the above, develop 3 - 5 “pain questions”. These are questions that are designed to help the targeted prospect begin to see the pain they have and how you are the solution. Example: “What are some of the changes you’ve had to make to compensate for the current price of gas?” or “What’s the best experience you’ve ever had on a tour?” Both of these questions will help get the person talking, which then gives you the opportunity to ask more questions. By doing so, you get the prospect to do all the talking and you learn as much information as possible to work with.
Let me shift gears a bit and talk about finding prospects. Begin by using the second step above as a gate opener to get your customers to give you referrals you can contact. There’s nothing better than a referral, especially one where the person doing the referring makes the initial contact on your behalf. Secondly, target your message very, very, very tight. We’re all inundated with too much information, so we tend to only pay attention to information that hits our personal bull’s-eye. This means you need to do as much profiling as possible of your perfect customer profile and only do those marketing / awareness activities that will hit them. Don’t kid yourself: the vast majority of advertising is wasted and the best is probably very expensive on a per contact basis. But, if you’re hitting the right contact, then the high cost perception suddenly goes away.
Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com
First off, I’d identify who your target customer is. It’s very easy to start trying to reach out to what you believe are potential customers only to find out there is no chance they’ll ever buy from you. Secondly, I’d find out what it is you do best and what your current customers say they like about doing business with you. Third, match up what your current customers say they like about you with the profile of your perfect customer. Your objective is to find the key benefit new customers would be most drawn to.
After you’ve done the above, develop 3 - 5 “pain questions”. These are questions that are designed to help the targeted prospect begin to see the pain they have and how you are the solution. Example: “What are some of the changes you’ve had to make to compensate for the current price of gas?” or “What’s the best experience you’ve ever had on a tour?” Both of these questions will help get the person talking, which then gives you the opportunity to ask more questions. By doing so, you get the prospect to do all the talking and you learn as much information as possible to work with.
Let me shift gears a bit and talk about finding prospects. Begin by using the second step above as a gate opener to get your customers to give you referrals you can contact. There’s nothing better than a referral, especially one where the person doing the referring makes the initial contact on your behalf. Secondly, target your message very, very, very tight. We’re all inundated with too much information, so we tend to only pay attention to information that hits our personal bull’s-eye. This means you need to do as much profiling as possible of your perfect customer profile and only do those marketing / awareness activities that will hit them. Don’t kid yourself: the vast majority of advertising is wasted and the best is probably very expensive on a per contact basis. But, if you’re hitting the right contact, then the high cost perception suddenly goes away.
Contact Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter for your next Conference or Sales Meeting. To see and hear Mark Hunter now visit www.TheSalesHunter.com
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling is More Than Networking
Consultative Selling is all about dealing with customers. Sales Development is having an on-going process to build your sales volume. Neither of these definitions say anything about networking with your friends in the business. Recently, I've seen several situations where very competent, experienced sales people have had trouble closing sales. The reason for their slump is because of who they're calling on. Veteran sales people often wind up in trouble because of the amount of time they spend talking to their friends in the industry, believing that if they just stay in contact with these people, their numbers will take off. This big mistake is one of the primary reasons why seasoned veterans often finish their careers on a sour note. My advice: stay in touch with the people you know, but, at the end of each week, ask yourself how many new people you've talked with and have been able to add to your prospect list.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Prospecting and Cold-Call Selling
Every company needs to have some type of sales development program. It is essential for small businesses, but the idea of having one is often something they can't imagine. Therefore, the end result is that the business remains small because it can't attract enough new customers to grow.
I've seen a number of studies which all say that the number one reason small businesses fail is lack of money. In my opinion, it's a lack of customers. This past week, I had a chance to talk to a networking group comprised of small business owners. My conversation with them confirmed this opinion even more.
Every small business must be committed to spending a percentage of their time and revenue looking for new customers, all while continuing to serve their existing ones. The easiest way for a small business owner to do this is to dedicate the first 45 minutes of every day to doing nothing but prospecting. I believe that if you don't prospect first thing in the morning, you're far less likely to do it any other time of the day. By not designating this to the first part of the work day, you will find yourself challenged for time and making compromises. When this happens, the most likely thing to get cut is prospecting / cold-calling because it's probably the least enjoyable task.
If you are interested in some tips to ensure success in your prospecting, I recently posted a new article on my website and I encourage you to read it. Visit www.TheSalesHunter.com, click "articles", and you'll see it listed towards the bottom.
I've seen a number of studies which all say that the number one reason small businesses fail is lack of money. In my opinion, it's a lack of customers. This past week, I had a chance to talk to a networking group comprised of small business owners. My conversation with them confirmed this opinion even more.
Every small business must be committed to spending a percentage of their time and revenue looking for new customers, all while continuing to serve their existing ones. The easiest way for a small business owner to do this is to dedicate the first 45 minutes of every day to doing nothing but prospecting. I believe that if you don't prospect first thing in the morning, you're far less likely to do it any other time of the day. By not designating this to the first part of the work day, you will find yourself challenged for time and making compromises. When this happens, the most likely thing to get cut is prospecting / cold-calling because it's probably the least enjoyable task.
If you are interested in some tips to ensure success in your prospecting, I recently posted a new article on my website and I encourage you to read it. Visit www.TheSalesHunter.com, click "articles", and you'll see it listed towards the bottom.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling Tips Being Put to Use
Each week, I send out a sales tip to help people develop their selling skills and, in turn, I regularly receive emails back from people with their comments on how they're using them. Below is the response I received from a reader in the DFW area. He's done a great job of not just reading the tips, but putting them to use. Special thanks to Bob Lazenby of the Legacy Realty Group for these. Here's just some of what Bob sent me:
"QUESTION or THOUGHT IN A PROSPECT'S MIND: What Makes You Different? In two sentences, can you explicitly define what makes you different from your competition? Great salespeople can!
RESPONSE (TWO SENTENCES): We show clients how to reduce facilities costs by as much as 20% - 30% or more! Would you like to know how we do that?
IF PROSPECT SAYS YES… “Give me a couple of times THIS WEEK or NEXT that we can MEET and I’LL SHOW YOU
AT the MEETING: Theme is… Proactive vs Reactive
OPENING STATEMENT:
Those that have TIME on their side get the BEST DEALS
· PROACTIVE approach;
· In almost all cases they meet or exceed their financial EXPECTATIONS.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of companies address their facility needs on a REACTIVE basis;
· They seldom meet their financial EXPECTATIONS
· Often ends up as a financial disaster. "
Bob has sent me even more examples and I want to thank him for doing so.
A giant plug for Bob and the Legacy Realty Group in the DFW area: If you're looking for commercial property, give Bob a call....www.LegacyRealtyGroup.com.
Thanks, Bob, and all the best to you and your entire team!!
"QUESTION or THOUGHT IN A PROSPECT'S MIND: What Makes You Different? In two sentences, can you explicitly define what makes you different from your competition? Great salespeople can!
RESPONSE (TWO SENTENCES): We show clients how to reduce facilities costs by as much as 20% - 30% or more! Would you like to know how we do that?
IF PROSPECT SAYS YES… “Give me a couple of times THIS WEEK or NEXT that we can MEET and I’LL SHOW YOU
AT the MEETING: Theme is… Proactive vs Reactive
OPENING STATEMENT:
Those that have TIME on their side get the BEST DEALS
· PROACTIVE approach;
· In almost all cases they meet or exceed their financial EXPECTATIONS.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of companies address their facility needs on a REACTIVE basis;
· They seldom meet their financial EXPECTATIONS
· Often ends up as a financial disaster. "
Bob has sent me even more examples and I want to thank him for doing so.
A giant plug for Bob and the Legacy Realty Group in the DFW area: If you're looking for commercial property, give Bob a call....www.LegacyRealtyGroup.com.
Thanks, Bob, and all the best to you and your entire team!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Professional Selling Skills Training: Selling With Voicemail
Here's a quick sales tip regarding voicemail:
If you're going to leave a voicemail message, avoid using a bluetooth device or any other type of headset. I'm amazed at the number of voicemail messages that are extremely hard to hear and/or understand. The vast majority of time, this is due to the use of portable headsets, etc. If you're doing any kind of prospecting through voicemail messages, you're already at a disadvantage because the majority of them will not be returned. So, why make it any harder on yourself? Use a headset when initially making the call, but when you get sent to voicemail, reach for the handset to ensure the message is as clear as possible. (By the way, to the the three of you who left me voicemail messages today, sorry but there's no way I could decipher who you are or what you were trying to sell me.)
If you're going to leave a voicemail message, avoid using a bluetooth device or any other type of headset. I'm amazed at the number of voicemail messages that are extremely hard to hear and/or understand. The vast majority of time, this is due to the use of portable headsets, etc. If you're doing any kind of prospecting through voicemail messages, you're already at a disadvantage because the majority of them will not be returned. So, why make it any harder on yourself? Use a headset when initially making the call, but when you get sent to voicemail, reach for the handset to ensure the message is as clear as possible. (By the way, to the the three of you who left me voicemail messages today, sorry but there's no way I could decipher who you are or what you were trying to sell me.)
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