Posts from — July 2008

Over the weekend I spoke at a conference in Napa Valley, CA on How To Brand The Sales Force. As I led the group of CEOs thorough a series of different exercises they began to grasp that their sales force are the ambassadors for their organizations brand.

The foundational point everyone who wants to dominate their market must realize is — the sales force not only represents the brand, they are their brand. The market judges your company’s value in direct proportion to the perceived value of the salesperson they interact with.

One of the most popular topics in our Key Account Management and Selling On Value workshops is how to gain access to higher-level decision makers. This is a critical skill for sales professionals, especially when you need to build relationships with multiple decision makers and influencers at key accounts. This article will address two related topics:

* Guidelines on how to gain access
* What to do if the gatekeeper blocks access

Top 10 Methods on How to Gain Access to Decision Makers …  Read more...

The most successful companies place great value on developing lifetime relationships with their customers. In today’s competitive marketplace, they’re aware that their customers are aggressively prospected and their loyalty cannot be taken for granted.

Customer focused companies recognize that relationship building and follow on service are critical components for promoting both customer retention and revenue growth.

First Build a Relationship…
Today we have access to innovative tools such as the Internet, cell phones, faxes and voice mail all designed to enhance our ability to communicate. Nevertheless, even with all of these technological tools at our disposal, the alarming number of dissatisfied customers, lost sales and failed relationships all reflect the fact that none of us are as effective at communicating as we would like to believe.

For any sales professional interested in selling more to more people in less time, testimonials are an absolutely vital part of the formula for success. If you’re not using them in your business right now, you are missing out on one of the most useful and under-used sales tools… ever!

I have some thoughts on why most people don’t use testimonials anywhere near to their full potential. First, let’s talk about why testimonials are so effective.

Consider the story of legendary businessman W. Clement Stone. He built what would one day become a multi-billion dollar empire by selling fire-insurance policies door-to-door during the Great Depression.

In the service and technology industries, it is not uncommon for prospects to request pilot programs before committing their full business. Yet, there are important steps for the sales person to take before agreeing to the engagement.

The competition has been fiercely pursuing this account, but you feel like you have the edge. All indications are that you are going to win the business. Then, a call comes in from the Procurement officer who says:

RFPs (Request for Proposal) can leave you feeling powerless. Before you decide to respond to your next RFP, read this article. You can regain the power!

Superman, as strong he is, is paralyzed by kryptonite. It brings him to his knees despite his superhuman strength. Sales people have their own kryptonite called RFPs, the dreaded Request for Proposal. An RFP process doesn’t have to be kryptonite. Superman has no choice but to fight this nemesis to survive. Sales people have choices.