At almost any stage in the sales cycle, from setting the first appointment to closing the deal, the three-headed monster of hesitation can rear its head. The prospect is stuck and you’ve got to do something about it.
The best way to respond to the roadblock of hesitation is to understand the motives behind it, and give the prospect the assurance and encouragement they need to get unstuck. Continue reading →
Think for a second about the last few commercial accounts you’ve written. Did the process move quickly and seamlessly from the referral or prospecting call, to the sales meeting, and then to closing?
I’m guessing in at least one case there were probably gaps or delays between the first step and the final outcome. Often businesses want to wait until the next renewal before seriously considering new options for insurance. Some companies’ policy is to only review insurance every two or three years. And sometimes businesses aren’t motivated to consider insurance changes until they encounter a problem with their current provider. Continue reading →
Now that it’s officially 2015, we hope you’re feeling a wave of fresh optimism and renewed energy to take your sales to a higher plateau this year. But of course you can’t depend on enthusiasm or the economy itself to drive new business.
You’ve got to apply proven strategies to accelerate leads, appointments, and sales. And in business-to-business context, getting to the right person at the target company in the shortest amount of time is key to your prospecting success.
There are two basic ways you can improve cold calling results – changing what you say (communication) and changing how you work (process). Today we’re going to focus on that process.
This may seem weird. But stay with me for a minute.
Imagine you’re on a friend’s big yacht. It’s a lovely day, the boat’s cruising along at a good clip, and you and your friend are standing by the rail looking out at the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. You reach into your pocket to show your buddy the diamond engagement ring you just bought for your fiancée. As you open the blue velvet box, the ring falls right out of your hands and into the ocean below.
Holy F*&^%$ing S%$#! Continue reading →