Understanding the Sales Force

MARCH 21, 2022

Protect Your References - a rant on why you shouldn't give out references unless it's the perfect time. Why Forecasts are Always So Inaccurate - a rant on why it's not the forecast! Dinger's Listening Skills - how my Dog's Listening Skills are better than those of most salespeople. Why People Should Consider a Career in Sales.

Video 296

Video Forecasting Cold Calling Consultative Selling 296

No More Cold Calling

OCTOBER 27, 2020

What they also don’t realize is that people will refer them because of the trusted relationships they’ve developed. People don’t refer companies; they refer people. Most importantly, they have relationships from past companies. It doesn’t matter if your business is new or established.

Referrals 317

Referrals Hiring Webinar Metrics How To 317

Sales 2.0

MAY 20, 2020

If you know 150 people and each of your connections (“first degree connections”) knows 150 people then you can be referred to 150 x 150 people = 22,500 people (your “second degree connections” in Linkedin language.). This network effect is a large part of the reason the COVID virus has spread so rapidly.

Cold Calling 501

Cold Calling Referrals Networking Education 501

Anthony Cole Training

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

One of the most important skills that a salesperson needs to possess is the ability to engage in what I refer to as “appropriate and respectful confrontation” with a prospect…at least when the need arises. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just refer to that as the ability to push back.

Prospecting 227

Prospecting Motivation Training Sales 227

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 7, 2018

When a trusted resource refers you to someone, you take the time to explore the option.”. If you’re that kind of salesperson, referring you is not a favor. Of course, they’ll refer you, but you must ask. The two of them trust each other and value the relationship, so Wes didn’t need to shop the market.

Referrals 310

Referrals How To Cold Calling Lead Generation 310

No More Cold Calling

AUGUST 1, 2019

When I refer you, I put my reputation on the line, so I need to trust that you’ll take care of my connection as I would. I refer you to someone I know well. They know I won’t waste their time, and they’ll gain insights from anyone I refer. So, when I refer you, this person’s trust in me gets transferred to you.

Referrals 289

Referrals System Cold Calling Social Media 289

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 23, 2019

percent of business buyers prefer to work with referred vendors, and 73 percent prefer to work with referred salespeople, according to IDC and LinkedIn. That’s leaving money on the table, because 83 percent of satisfied customers are willing to refer products and services, according to a marketing survey conducted by Texas Tech.

Referrals 297

Referrals Scale How To Lead Rank 297

No More Cold Calling

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

Those were people referred to him by someone they trusted. No matter how many times he called—six to 10 attempts, easily—he couldn’t reach anyone. The cold calling was becoming a grind, and he dreaded picking up the phone. Prospects, though? A totally different story.

Sales Qualified Lead 313

Sales Qualified Lead Prospecting Cold Calling Referrals 313

Understanding the Sales Force

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

While I couldn't find a reference to unfulfilled salespeople, I did observe that 84% must be the favorite made up statistic by all of the people (those who will benefit from selling you a service) who make up statistics! I began with Google and searched for "84% of salespeople."

Data 316

Data Google Up-Sell Groups 316

Anthony Cole Training

JANUARY 5, 2024

But the ‘ATMs’ I’m referring to have been around, well a long, long, long time. Bank ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) have been around for a while.According to Investopedia, Barclays Bank of London in 1967 was the first to have an ATM in use. I remember using my first ATM – Jeanie Machine – in Cincinnati in 1979.

Banking 248

Banking Sales Coaching Motivation Training 248

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 16, 2020

If they can’t help, they’ll refer someone who can. Top salespeople are different. They show empathy, they listen carefully, and they ask tough questions. They understand that their job is to help their clients. How Your Prospects Choose Whom to Trust.

Face-to-face 434

Face-to-face Call-back Cold Calling Webinar Metrics 434

Understanding the Sales Force

JUNE 27, 2023

Compare that with salespeople who, after five years in sales, could be referred to as veterans. While he was an advanced hitter, it took "outside experts" coaching him to realize he really didn't know Jack $hit about hitting.

Hiring 307

Hiring Coaching Sales Consultative Selling 307

No More Cold Calling

OCTOBER 24, 2024

One more reference to check: You’ve coordinated with the client who is giving the reference and ensured the conversation has happened. Here’s a cool question to ask referred prospects: “Are you in minimizing-risk mode, cost-savings mode, growth mode … or just ‘leave me alone’ mode?” You know the steps to get them out.

Opportunity 177

Opportunity Referrals How To Pipeline 177

No More Cold Calling

MAY 2, 2019

What they also don’t realize is that people will refer them because of the trusted relationships they’ve developed. People don’t refer companies, they refer people. Most importantly, they have relationships from past companies. It doesn’t matter if your business is new or established.

Small Business 316

Small Business Small Business Referrals Hiring 316

Anthony Cole Training

JULY 28, 2022

Selling is a different animal and you will often hear the term “soft skills” in reference to training a salesperson. It would be great if you could hand a new salesperson a manual, ask them to read it, take a knowledge test and they could successfully begin their job. What are soft skills in sales?

Examples 254

Examples Sales Training Selling Skills 254

No More Cold Calling

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

But they’ll always speak with a person who’s been referred by a trusted colleague. Referred salespeople get in the door with just one call and make themselves an invaluable part of the customer journey. Who are buyers going to talk to when they’re short on funds and stressed about the future of their organizations? Problem solved.

Referrals 323

Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Qualified Lead Lead Generation 323

Understanding the Sales Force

OCTOBER 30, 2023

I’m not referring to the presentation step of the sales process, as much as I am using “sales presentations” as a replacement term for “sales calls.”

Sales 358

Sales Follow-up Groups Prospecting 358

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 27, 2019

Well enough you’d feel confident referring them? That starts with a personal invitation, which most people don’t even bother with. How many people in your network do you know really well? Very few, I expect. Social selling success is not about the number of contacts, but about the number of true connections you have.

LinkedIn 307

LinkedIn Social Media Networking Cold Calling 307

No More Cold Calling

MAY 21, 2020

They love you and would be glad to refer you, but your reps don’t know how to ask clients for referrals. Most sales organizations don’t have an outbound referral program that zeroes in on their most neglected revenue channel—existing clients. These folks are your gold mine.

Referrals 331

Referrals Outbound Lead Gen Sales Qualified Lead 331

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 16, 2020

Close ratio of referred leads. Michael Maher , North America’s most referred realtor, says this about transitioning to referrals: “First, it isn’t a transition. Your clients transform throughout the buying process and become a part of your sales staff, speaking highly of you and referring you willingly. It’s a transformation.

Referrals 328

Referrals Sales Management Hiring Scale 328

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 26, 2021

They’ll always take meetings with salespeople who are referred by someone they know and trust. Even with virtual sales meetings, you’ll convert referred prospects to customers well more than 50 percent of the time. As busy as they are, they’ll make time for you and trust you from the get-go. It gets even better.

Sales Meeting 287

Sales Meeting Meeting Referrals Face-to-face 287

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 10, 2021

Fifty of the company’s best clients said they’d be glad to refer them! In 2018, I was referred to LinkedIn Learning. To this day, I don’t know why, but I added this question on the last round. Would you be willing to be a referral to this company?” I shared the results at our next meeting. My client was thrilled, of course.

Referrals 385

Referrals Cold Calling Webinar Metrics Inbound 385

Bernadette McClelland

MARCH 30, 2023

He just had to carry the bags What I refer to as my ‘9 category school project’ was nervously submitted and I waited in pure anticipation. The fact that there was a possibility of it being approved was nail-biting. Other differences include meanings for the same words…gas in Australia has a totally different meaning to here!

Networking 397

Networking Licensing Up-Sell Banking 397

Zoominfo

MAY 21, 2020

This is also referred to as the “three-by-three” and done in a shorter period of time. The podcast reference was specific enough to demonstrate that he really did know who Kara was, and understood her position. Refer to Events and Common Interests for Context. A best practice is called the “five-by-five” rule. Sounds good to us!

Examples 264

Examples Account Based Marketing Decision Maker Ideal Customer Profile 264

No More Cold Calling

JANUARY 27, 2022

Diversity doesn’t just refer to race and gender, but also encompasses categories such as age, sexual orientation, religion, military service, people with disabilities, and other traits and experiences that are reflected in a company’s workforce.”.

Research 257

Research Benefit Hiring Demographics 257

No More Cold Calling

JULY 25, 2024

In his book, Outliers: The Story of Success , he references a study by K. (Image attribution: Frans van Heerden ) Practice Makes Rainmakers As Malcolm Gladwell says, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”

Referrals 334

Referrals Cold Calling Coaching Incentives 334

Sales and Marketing Management

JULY 7, 2020

With stay-at-home mandates causing what many reference as the “groundhog day” effect, your sales team is the perfect audience for incorporating surprise rewards as part of a sales incentive program to keep remote teams engaged and company morale high.

Incentive 394

Incentive Incentives Motivation ACT 394

The Pipeline

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

While one looks at buyer’s state of readiness to buy, you can cross-reference with length of relationship with incumbent provider. This can be a million places based on industry, geography, and other basic demographics, again there are loads. Narrow it down, this is one example, you may want to look at doing this for multiple sets of data.

Buyer 345

Buyer Demographics Video Territories 345

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Referred prospects convert to clients a minimum 50 percent of the time (most salespeople tell me it’s closer to 70 percent). You schedule 10 referral meetings (because people will always take meetings with salespeople who’ve been referred by people they know and trust). But they do take meetings with salespeople who’ve been referred.

Referrals 194

Referrals Scale Decision Maker Sales Qualified Lead 194

No More Cold Calling

MARCH 29, 2019

We don’t wait for clients to refer us. Women in sales understand that relationships are built on trust, and we have the savvy and patience to foster strong personal and business relationships. That’s why we’re great at getting referrals. We understand the power of proactively asking.

Referrals 312

Referrals Cold Calling Networking Call-back 312

Sales 2.0

MAY 1, 2020

He ended up forming many relationships from his work there and those insiders referred him to other insiders until he was super-connected. Tim Ferriss tells the story of how he arrived in Silicon Valley with no contacts at all and volunteered to help at the Silicon Valley Association.

Enterprise 416

Enterprise Enterprise Social Media Referrals 416

Understanding the Sales Force

OCTOBER 9, 2024

If you want to build a sales team that is tops in your industry, geography or with your target audience, here is a roadmap, with examples and reference material, to help you achieve that. Unlike the Red Sox, most sales teams have too much pitching (demos and presentations)!

Hiring 358

Hiring Lead Rank Lead Scoring Compensation 358

Steven Rosen

OCTOBER 8, 2021

” Attain a Goal: It is essential to realize that when we talk about motivation, we are referring to a specific goal and the level of effort the individual sales rep will make in achieving that goal. A sales rep can be motivated to land a big account but not motivated to hand in their paperwork on time.

Motivation 379

Motivation Commission Incentives Incentive 379

Steven Rosen

JUNE 3, 2020

When I say “you,” I am referring to frontline sales managers and sales executives. Even though we are still social distancing and face to face selling may not resume until 2021, you are still responsible for sales results. What can you do to jump-start your sales and make up for any lost sales during the last several months?

Sales Leadership 394

Sales Leadership Closing Face-to-face Call-back 394

Steven Rosen

JULY 15, 2020

Every time you speak with them refer back to their territory plan and ask them open-ended questions like: How are things progressing against one of the CSFs? The plans are well thought through, and the rep can support their thinking. Great leaders understand that it is easy for their people to lose focus and chase the shiny fish.

Closing 306

Closing Territories Guarantee eBook 306

Sales and Marketing Management

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

In addition, refer to attendees by their names when asking questions. Of course, the topic of COVID-19 is top of mind for many. But if you’re looking for safer topics to discuss, consider the following: Weekend plans. Recently established hobbies. Family happenings. Create additional opportunities for engagement.

Sales Meeting 317

Sales Meeting Meeting Nonprofit Face-to-face 317

No More Cold Calling

JUNE 24, 2021

That’s great, because no one wants to refer pushy, aggressive people. If you provide a valuable product or service, and perhaps more importantly, a good buying experience, your customers will be happy to refer you. We need to be ABA: Always Be Asking.). It’s pushy and aggressive like the stereotypical sleazy used car salesman.

Referrals 256

Referrals Outsourcing Services Sales Outsourcing Cold Calling 256