We all face many challenges in our selling effort. Some issues you cannot control (e.g. supplier, technology, weather). However, you can control how you communicate with your clients. What is the best approach? Proactive Do not make your clients chase you for updates. This will erode the trust you worked hard to build. Be sure […]
Tag: #sales
Which sales opportunities to pursue?
You are one person with “X” amount of time…where do you focus your selling effort? Deciding between smaller opportunities that have shorter sales cycles and larger opportunities that take longer to close can be challenging. A couple of ideas that may help you prioritize… How do you define a “Qualified Opportunity”? Having a definition for […]
How to make it easy for the customer/hiring manager to pick you!
Since face-to-face meetings are still rare, communicating the value you provide has become increasingly difficult. This applies whether you are in a sales role currently approaching customers or interviewing with a prospective employer. Have no fear! John Madigan, President and CEO of Executive Talent Services, LLC in Farmington, CT has a simple and highly effective […]
Have enough contacts in your large customer?
Large accounts are worth pursuing many times because of the potential payoff. Making progress in large accounts requires patience, thoughtful planning, and persistence. After you start doing business with large customers, it is good to evaluate your “position” and pursuit strategy. Some questions to consider… How many decision makers? Decisions in large accounts many times […]
Getting your customer to leave a competitor
We all wish this would happen quickly. However, many times the customer perceives risk in change. Some thoughts on how to make the decision to change more comfortable for the customer… Understand impact of change on customer Depending on the size and complexity of your prospective customer, changing partners can have wide ranging impact. Sampling […]
How to use your proposal to further qualify a customer
In my 4/8/2021 blog post I shared some thoughts about pursuing opportunities when competitors might be ahead of you. Ok…let’s assume you have decided to move ahead while you know you need more information. How you can further qualify the prospective customer while reviewing a proposal… Proposal is a “Qualifying Guideline” Your proposal “tees up” […]
Competitors are ahead of you…pursue the opportunity?
So you are pursuing an opportunity and find out that competitors are ahead of you or more entrenched than you currently are. Should you bail or continue to move forward? When to continue It can be a tough decision. Some ideas on when you should consider continuing: Prospective client’s interests/challenges align with your capabilities Significant […]
Challenging getting to executives at your client?
Sometimes executives at client organizations are elusive. They filter who they choose to spend time with. The question for you is…who can help you connect and how do you manage that relationship? Do not steamroll Administrative Support Whether the executives at your client are working in person or remote, they likely have someone helping them […]
Brief Video – Want more success with prospecting?
How you prepare is a HUGE factor…watch this 53 second video for more! Feel free to contact me directly for ideas and/or help on this or other topics! Sign up as a subscriber for exclusive weekly emails with additional ideas on my home page (just scroll down)!
How to approach tough questions from customers
You know you will get them…how to address them? You can either hope you do not get them or take a proactive approach. Likely you will be more comfortable if you are prepared… Tough questions you are likely to hear? There are the common “objections” like pricing, timeline and others. Then there are others that […]