At first thought, you may be thinking “how does psychology have anything to do with sales?” But after thinking about it for a while, you may realize that the answer is… a lot. Selling is all about getting into the mind of your prospect and persuading them (or better yet – letting them come to the conclusion themselves) that they need what you offer. Learning about how people think is a great way to better understand your prospect and it will become helpful to arm yourself with the tools to understand and sway your prospect’s thinking. Here are some tips on how you can use psychology to sell during your next sales call: (more…)
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Communication: The Foundation of Sales
Communication and Sales, especially B2B sales, go hand in hand. Very few decisions in the business-to-business landscape are made without some kind of human engagement. Effective communication between salespeople and buyers is crucial. In the process of communicating with prospects, talented salespeople focus their prospecting efforts on properly qualifying, utilizing Effective probing questions, and setting up sales opportunities that have a true “reason to meet”. Let’s dive into more technical concepts about communication.
The verbal communication process is built on four main components: encoding, medium of transmission, decoding and feedback. Encoding is the translation of thoughts. From a salesperson’s point of view, it is taking a larger, more abstract picture and breaking it down into simple terms for the buyer to easily understand. In order to enhance the encoding stage, the salesperson should focus on two things: their choice of words and tone. Using short words and phrases can keep the salesperson from rambling and losing the prospect’s interest. Having specific answers to the prospect’s questions will provide a level of transparency, ultimately leading to a more trusting prospect. The salesperson’s tone of voice should match the level of the prospect’s energy level. If the prospect seems quieter, having a loud and aggressive approach may just turn off the prospect for the rest of the conversation. (more…)
20 Things We’ve Learned in Sales Prospecting Over 20 Years
It’s hard to sum up 20 years of industry experience in one article, but we are going to try. We are so excited to celebrate 20 years of providing B2B Appointment Setting & Lead Generation services, as well as Integrated Marketing solutions! Over the years, we’ve gained extensive sales knowledge that helps us provide continued value to our clients. After brainstorming as a team, here’s a summary of what we learned, particularly as it relates to the prospecting bucket of the sales process:
1. Maintain a Clean CRM.
Without a well-designed and well-utilized CRM, there is no way to organize a productive day. If you don’t know who your prospects are, how do you expect to nurture them and build brand recognition with them? If you don’t have a CRM, work on getting one, and use Excel for the time being.
2. Take Great Notes on All Prospect Conversations.
You may have a great memory, but why would you crowd your brain up with information from hundreds of conversations or rely on it, for that matter? Reflect on the interaction and enter all relevant information they relayed to you. Before your next call or email, revisit your notes to be precise and show you were listening.
3. Quality Prospect Lists Yield Better Results.
While purchasing a third-party list might be appealing cost-wise and a time-saver, the data will be outdated and require hours of thorough qualification work to update. Be prepared to Invest in a quality list – the growth of your business relies on it. Whether your team organically builds it in-house, purchase a list or have it vetted by a skilled call team like MarketReach, better data yields better results. (more…)
How to Keep Prospects Engaged on an Insurance Sales Call
Let’s face it, keeping the attention of a prospect is hard. As a Producer, it’s sometimes difficult to differentiate from competitors. You will often encounter people who don’t have the time to talk, aren’t interested in listening to your agency’s pitch, or who will hang up immediately without giving the time to prove the value of your call. Oh, and we’re still smack in the middle of a Pandemic to add the icing on the cake! In a previous blog post, we provided some tips on how to gain a prospect’s attention during an introductory call. These tips included taking their guard down, using vocal variety, and asking smart questions. But, gaining a prospect’s attention is only the first step, getting them to stay on the phone, and engage is the next step. Consider these tips to keep a prospect on the phone once you’ve gained their attention: (more…)
Convenience Services Operator Sales Tips For a Rebuilding Year
Published on Vending Times Feb. 22, 2021
After a long and arduous year, 2021 brings a fresh start. Now is the perfect opportunity to revamp your company’s sales and marketing plan if you haven’t yet. All over the country, we have spoken to convenience services operators that have lost from 20% to 40% of their business due to a work-at-home environment that is a little more longer-lasting than we would have imagined. Those that have suffered the most have a better portion of their business in the white collar space. But – have hope – there are brighter days ahead, and there is something you can do about it. (more…)
Motivating Your Sales Team Remotely
There is no doubt that having a motivated staff plays a huge role in the success of a company, however, the work-from-home model forces managers to get more creative in how they motivate their sales team. The managers who have an in-depth understanding of their salespeople and what drives them will see positives results in terms of productivity. There are multiple ways to motivate your employees, but you must determine the best option for your specific company culture. In order to do this, consider asking yourself the following: (more…)
Breakroom Service Providers: Sales Tips to Finish 2021 Strong
Even though there didn’t appear to be much of a “summer”, the calendar kept moving. Not long ago we were writing about the importance of Qualifying Prospects During COVID-19 and What to Expect From Salespeople During this Time, and now fall has already arrived. Whether vacations were canceled, rescheduled or modified, working people hopefully took some time off to refresh and sales has become top of mind again. Let’s turn up the momentum as decision makers return from their “summer” vacations, eager to start the last quarter strong.
Track your efforts and re-strategize.
Identify the prospects you contacted these last few months, and ask yourself the following questions: During the shift to “work from home” that occurred with certain industries, did you make stronger attempts to go after blue-collar businesses that were more likely still on–site? Did you make ‘touch base’ calls by phone when businesses were adapting to the pandemic? Did you utilize any direct mail campaigns or email newsletters and monitor engagement? Did you attend any virtual networking events or conferences? Did you enter new contact information into your CRM or prospect Excel spreadsheet? (more…)
What B2B Sales Activity Will Look Like in 2022 and Beyond
The last few years haven’t been easy for those working in the B2B sales industry due to many barriers, including working from home, the difficulty of meeting in person, and the obvious non-sales related priorities that have taken over the psyche of buyers. At the beginning of the year, like any year, we were all optimistic about what 2021 would bring, but now we must figure out how to pick up the pieces that the pandemic has left behind. (more…)
What to Expect from Salespeople in the Vending Industry
As it has been for all, it’s been an especially tough few months in the breakroom service industry. Although some companies are seeing sales numbers return “back to normal”, that is not typical. The uncertainty of employees returning back to the office has challenged the industry and the services it provides. Sales numbers are usually a good indicator of success, but now that your salespeople most likely aren’t making as many sales, what should you expect from them? Perhaps you’ve furloughed some employees and have brought them back with your stimulus check (even though your usual workload has not returned). So, if they can’t perform their main role of selling, what expectations should you have for your salespeople? Here are some aspects to consider: (more…)
What to Expect from Salespeople at This Time
The past few months have been filled with ups and downs for salespeople. Although some businesses are seeing sales numbers return “back to normal”, that is not the case for all companies. Sales numbers are usually a good indicator of success, but now that your salespeople most likely aren’t making as many sales, what should you expect from them? Perhaps you’ve furloughed some employees and have brought them back with your stimulus check (even though your usual workload has not returned). So, if they can’t perform their main role of selling, what expectations should you have for your salespeople? Here are some aspects to consider: