Articles

4 Lead Management New Year’s Resolutions for 2015

Every New Year brings the promise of renewal and rejuvenation for everyone who works in sales. Jan. 1 presents a clean slate and a chance to do things differently – reconnect with promising prospects, enhance your sales processes, improve your efficiency, and find new ways to add value for customers. If you’re looking for new ways to take your business to new heights in 2015, you .... Read more »

The Most Important Things Your Boss Might Not Have Taught You About Sales

Sales people are often misunderstood – by customers and prospects, who often think we’re trying to finagle our way into their schedule so we can try to hard-sell them into buying something they don’t need; by colleagues in other parts of the company, who often (wrongly) believe that sales people get all the glory without the effort; and most of all by our bosses. Whether your boss i.... Read more »

Top Sales Performers: Why They Close Deals

In running lead generation programs over the last 23 years, we have often wondered why certain reps can take a sales lead of any quality – cold, warm or hot – and seem to turn them into closed deals. What is the "x" factor that makes certain sales reps so successful? There is no one single reason why some sales performers close so many more deals than others. Some people are natur.... Read more »

6 Time-Tested Guidelines for Starting a Lead Generation Referral Program

One of the constant struggles in lead generation is the tension between sales people asking for “more sales leads” and managers asking their sales people to “do more with the sales leads you already have.” Fortunately there is a way to bridge the gap – your sales team can generate more sales leads by implementing a lead generation referral program. When you start a lead.... Read more »

7 Undeniable Ways to Become a Better Salesperson

Sales is a constant battle for improvement. Whether it’s getting better at overcoming objections, improving your appointment setting success ratios, or increasing the number and size of deals you close, every salesperson is trying to get better every day. By making incremental improvements in the way we operate, salespeople have a unique opportunity to see big results. 1. Be a .... Read more »

5 Things Decision Makers Say When Your Sale Is Not Going To Close

Every sales professional has to overcome objections, deal with rejection and keep conversations moving forward in the face of difficulty. But sometimes the decision maker makes it all too clear that the sale is not moving forward to the deal closing table anytime soon. Here are 5 statements from decision makers that show that the sale is not going to close: 1. “Let’s touch ba.... Read more »

Is Your Sales Effort Broken? 5 Questions To Ask Yourself

There’s an old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But how do you know whether or not your sales effort is broken? Many sales organizations keep trying to do the same things that worked in the past without facing up to the new realities of their industry – or they get complacent with a certain level of success, not realizing that their organization is at risk for decline if they.... Read more »

5 Most Effective Ways to Get Decision Makers to Call You Back

Part of the lead generation process involves leaving voice mails for decision makers, and then playing the “waiting game” to see if and when they’ll call you back. Unfortunately, many lead generation calls fail to maximize the potential of voice mail. Every time your prospects hear your voice mail messages, that is a chance to catch the decision makers in a quiet moment when they are listeni.... Read more »

Cooking Up Great Sales Leads: Top 10 Ingredients

Every delicious meal begins with a good recipe: without all the ingredients, working in the right order, sequence and in just the right quantities, your dish just doesn’t come out right. Just like cooking in the kitchen, “cooking up” great sales leads requires a list of key ingredients and a consistent process to achieve a successful result. Great chefs know how to add an intangible.... Read more »