Posts from — March 2009

Have you ever answered an objection from a prospect only to be given another one that was completely unrelated to the first one? And then after you battled your way through that one, you got another, then another?

If you’ve been in sales any length of time then I’m sure you have. And if you still don’t know how to handle and even avoid that, then I know you’re hating life – until now! That’s because I’m going to teach you a simple technique that will enable you to avoid that common trap 80% of your competition fall into. And here’s what you do:  Read more...

I’ve written, tested, re-written, tweaked, copy edited, composed, marketed, reviewed, and used thousands of telemarketing scripts over the last 26 years.

I’ve written and used opening scripts, closing scripts, prospecting cold calling scripts, warm inbound scripts, closing scripts, rebuttal scripts, trial close scripts, initial resistance scripts, blow off scripts, qualifying scripts, etc….

Bottom line? Nobody writes better scripts than yours truly, Mr. Inside Sales. Heck, I wrote the book on scripts The Complete Book of Phone Scripts. When companies and sales reps hire me to write or review or tweak their prospecting scripts, almost always I find they are saying or doing the same things wrong. In this article, I’m going to give you The 5 Secrets to writing Killer Prospecting Scripts.  Read more...

Every day we’re hearing about how tough it is out there. Prospects won’t take calls. Budgets are on hold. And yet, I remain optimistic, seeing opportunity all around us.

While many clients are halting spending, others are getting creative and looking at their businesses from new perspectives. They are seeking ways to leverage these difficult times and evolve their own companies. They refuse to let the difficult economy stall their growth.

One client I was speaking with the other day said I must be an eternal optimist, refusing to face reality. Maybe. But that same day I had four new contacts call me.  Read more...

In today’s economy you need every advantage in your sales kit. Prospects are scrutinizing all requests for their time and each purchase decision.

You want to pass their piercing investigation but the sales tools you’ve used in recent years aren’t cutting it. You need something more, and testimonials are the answer. They can be the difference maker in not just winning opportunities but also in attracting attention in the first place.

Testimonials are your clients’ stamp of approval. They provide an independent perspective that gives prospects insight into how you work, how effective your solutions are, and the results others have experienced through engaging you.  Read more...

Ask yourself this question – when you call a prospect or client back to close a sale, do you open your call up with, “I’m just calling to follow up…”? If you’re like most sales reps (80% or more), then I’ll bet you do, and, if so, then you’re making a big mistake because you are setting yourself up for rejection and you’re allowing your prospect to put you off.

Here are some equally weak opening most sales reps use when calling their prospects back:

“I’m just calling to follow up,” or  Read more...

One of the most powerful techniques for reaching your sales goals is known as positive imaging or positive visualization. This is how it works. You visualize your sales goals and dreams in their perfected form as if you have already achieved them. This technique helps bring into your life the actualization of those goals.  Read more...

What salesperson doesn’t love the Glenngary Glen Ross speech when Alec Baldwin gives his seven-minute rant/pep talk to his struggling group of sales flunkies? One of his main points: ABC. A – Always, B – Be, C – Closing. Makes sense, right? Well, keep that in mind because I’ll get back to this point in a second.

There is nothing wrong with good salespeople. We need them to fill all kinds of roles – in mall kiosks, call centers, and used car dealerships across the United States. But as margins and dollars-per-transaction increase, traditional sales skills (the kind we’re taught in seminars and sales meetings) become less relevant.  Read more...