Silence is a Sales Strength
In comedy, well-placed silence is crucial to evoking an audience reaction. These breaks – referred to as “pregnant pauses” — give the crowd time to absorb the joke and react with laughter. But comedians aren’t the only group that benefit from exaggerated gaps in conversation. Pregnant pauses are also useful to employ in the sales […]
Chemistry is great (but it’s not a sales strategy!)
We’ve all heard stories — and experienced it ourselves — of two people immediately hitting it off, perhaps even falling in love at first sight. This instant attraction, often referred to as “chemistry”, is a mutual feeling of connection that transcends the spoken word. Chemistry doesn’t have to be romantic. It can happen anytime we […]
How to Derail "Send me the presentation."
“Send me the presentation.” As a salesperson, these four words are equivalent to the kiss of death for a burgeoning business relationship. In my experience, this request is (polite) code for, “I am remotely interested, but not wowed enough to take this relationship further.” Or perhaps, “There are some good things here, so I’m going […]
Measuring the Hunch
Intuition is a powerful tool in a business setting. Sometimes, a situation just “feels” right (or wrong) and it makes sense to trust our instincts. However, relying on hunches shouldn’t be the basis for your sales strategy. But what if you could measure those hunches? What if you could take a feeling and turn it […]
How to (REALLY) Get Through to Your Prospect
Aim to find three prospects inside the company: decision makers, influencers, or someone who will refer you to the right person. When clients have databases built for the purpose of selling to their ideal prospects, most of what we see is an attempt to reach only one person, per company- a division head, VP, or […]
How Yoga Improved the Sales Process
An a-ha moment from an interesting place. In yoga class the other morning, the teacher said, “Rather than criticize your body for what you can’t do, just make an observation.” That comment redirected my thinking through a frustrating work situation. Our principles and methods for lead generation, managing the sales cycle, and closing deals rely […]
Getting A Response To Your Email
Scenario: Someone gave you a good lead or you’ve developed a lead yourself over time. These leads warrant pursuit. In either case, they’re at the top of your list to contact – whether they’re a new prospect or someone in your pipeline. The secret to getting a response from someone is to not just use […]
From Short List to Top Pick
What do you do when your company is on “The Short List”? When this situation presents itself, it’s the business developer’s role to do the due diligence of follow up. The Short List is the top 2-4 choices a company has for a service provider. By the time you’ve made The Short List, the criteria […]
Why are we meeting?
Here are a few things that go through my head if I’ve agreed to a business meeting or having a conversation with you.I’m sharing my thoughts because my personality profile represents 80% of the decision makers that you sell to: 1. How long will this meeting/conversation take? 2. Don’t over inform me by explaining how […]
