All Entries Tagged With: "prospecting"

Building a Smarter Leads List

So, your company isn’t helping you generate quality leads? I bet they bought you a list of thousands of leads, dumped them into a database, and said, “Go to work.” …and there you are “dialing for dollars,” making hundreds of calls hoping someone will answer the phone… and when they do, you enthusiastically ask for the name you have on your list and hear, “Who? That person hasn’t worked here for six years.” That’s not a great way to build credibility… is it?

It’s time to take matters into your own hands! Step away from the phones for just one day and take the following three actions…

4 Targeting Tips to Improve Your Prospecting

Dirty databases kill morale. It’s so difficult to reach decision makers these days. More than ever, sales success is dependent on our ability to be more efficient. If you are like most sales people, you are working through a combination of various leads lists and, those who are wise, are managing their most targeted contacts in a CRM.

Most sales roles require high activity to achieve quota, and so we get wrapped up in call, call, call… persist, persist, persist. Ironically, the very thing that drives our success can also get us into trouble. This is especially true if you have a ridiculously large list of unqualified leads to filter through.

3 Ways to Get the Inside Scoop and Find New Prospects!

Written by Silvia Quintanilla

Salespeople are under a lot of pressure to win new business, so I’ve come up with some ideas to help you and your sales team meet your goals. The good news is your prospects are “hiding out” in some very public places. When you are looking for a way in, look for a project or challenge the prospect is facing that matches what you sell! Here are 3 ways to get the inside scoop and find new prospects…

Using Stall Tactics to Your Advantage!

Don’t you love it when a prospect throws out the same old lame stall, “Can you just send me some information?” For years, we’ve been taught to respond with our own canned reply, “What kind of information would you like me to send you?” …ultimately knowing that we really don’t send any information at all.

You can use this stall tactic to your advantage.

7 Steps to Get the Appointment in 14 Days or Less!

Written by Paxton Green
[Contributing Author]

I have devised a mailing campaign that lasts for 14 days. I use it when I really need to make an impression. There are seven mailers that I send my prospect every-other-day. This two week process gives me direct access to my prospect with all future follow-ups. When I call, I am never redirected by the gate keeper.

Chasing Mice, Elephants, and Ghosts

This is the final post of a three part series dedicated to building a championship pipeline. At the end of last week’s article, I touched on the idea of “balance.” No, I’m not talking about work-life balance. I’m talking about the size and viability of your prospects.

Are you chasing mice, elephants, and ghosts? You may want to chase some more than others…

Committing to Your Pipeline

Part 2 of 3 for Building a Championship Pipeline:

Sales people get pulled in many different directions. From lead generation on the front end, to closing the deal on the back end, there is a lot to do!

Throughout the process, you must be committed to adding new opportunities to your pipeline. The following is a list of things I do to continue feeding the funnel…

Selling Like a Rookie

Part 1 of 3 for Building a Championship Pipeline:

I believe the selling season lasts year round. Thousands of companies need help and will buy your products regardless of the time of year. That said, your industry most likely has an exceptionally busy month or quarter when many new clients buy your services. In effect, you are always working for three time frames… the present month, the quarter, and the “busy season.” It is during these periods when the strength of your pipeline is revealed!

My Biggest Challenge With Cold Calling

What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing when you are cold calling and prospecting over the phone? Starting RIGHT NOW, I’m running a contest to help YOU improve your cold calling strategies and tactics!

Win an hour long one-on-one “Cold Calling Superstar” session with me, Doyle Slayton, where I will determine the 5 things you can do to help overcome your challenges and immediately improve your cold calling results!

6 Goals for Leaving Voice Mail

I spent the majority of my career believing that leaving messages was a waste of time. Why? Because return phone calls are rare, and I preferred calling multiple times until I finally got a voice-to-voice connection with the decision maker. More and more, it seems like people are not answering their phone. So I began thinking, “Am I really in control?” and “Am I really being more efficient?” I realize now, that if I’m going to regain control and gain traction over time, I have to leave messages.