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…)
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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:
How To Adjust Your Outbound Sales Approach During This Time
Life as we know it has been completely altered as a result of the current scenario and, because of this, our professional life has changed quite a bit too. If you’re in Sales, your outbound prospecting approach will need to be adjusted. Authentic rapport-building was always a paramount skill in sales, but it is now even more important. In that introduction, give your prospects peace of mind, embracing a positive outlook that life will return to normal and that you will be able to provide your services as usual once again, when they are ready. As you have likely already given some thought to your sales approach during this time, consider the tone and content of your message. (more…)
4 Challenges & Solutions to Managing Remote Salespeople
1. Identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
Hold weekly conference calls. Create an open discussion among your sales reps where they can provide thoughtful feedback from their WFH and outreach experiences. Discuss and explore potential strategies to fix what isn’t enhancing your team’s activity sales performance.
2. Encourage salespeople to combat the lack of face-to-face communication.
Skype, Teams, Zoom, GoToMeeting, still allow us to connect through video and phone. Encourage your team to use the technology at hand to build rapport with these tools – it’s as close to “normal” as we can get right now, while face-to-face is not an option. (more…)
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding & Implementing SPIN Selling
SPIN Selling is based around four main areas that involve questions to funnel down information that is received from the target. This method was created by Neil Rackham in the 1970’s when he was determining what would set apart one salesperson from another. He coined the term SPIN Selling, which utilizes open-ended questions that help the target come to conclusions on their own, without having the seller being overbearing or assuming the current circumstance of the company. The idea is to make the target feel comfortable to share information, which then allows the salesperson to ease into more in-depth questioning. SPIN questions are formulated to ensure that the prospect does most of the talking. At MarketReach, we refer to these as Needs Analysis Set-up, Needs Analysis, Features & Benefits against challenges the prospect is facing. Let’s explore the SPIN Selling method. (more…)