PUBLICATIONS
Periodically, I am invited to develop articles for business development publications. With every article, my goal is to provide effective sales tools and sales strategy information, based on my experience. My intent is to help you shorten your selling process; identify your prospects’ buying process; and close new business quicker.
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How to Turn Suspects Into Prospects
Society of Actuaries, Entrepreneurial & Innovation Section, May 2017 |
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Learning any skill takes commitment, effort and focus. My path to becoming a veteran sales leader started with a meeting with a VP of sales that took place after a call. I was a young, excitable sales rep. As I recounted the call, he kept repeating, “so what?” and then asked, “How did he react when you posed the question what happens to your business if you don’t address the problem? Oops. I had not asked that question to my prospect. The VP said, “Ray, you don’t have a prospect, you have a suspect.” He then defined a prospect as a business that needs to solve its problems. He went on to say that if the company is not committed to solving them, then it is merely a suspect. I’ve never forgotten that comment and hopefully I have learned and honed my sales skills over the years.
"Seek To Understand Before Wanting to Be Understood." - Stephen Covey from Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Learn about strategies for building relationships with each client versus being perceived as a predator, as you prospect for leads and new opportunities. My reflections are based on my 30-plus years of sales experience as a “hunter” for new business.
By keeping the mindset that you are prospecting as an advisor, you can seek to identify your prospect’s challenges and think about how you would resolve them.
When you focus on “understanding” what the other person has to say, you can achieve optimum results when prospecting for new sales.
Learn about strategies for building relationships with each client versus being perceived as a predator, as you prospect for leads and new opportunities. My reflections are based on my 30-plus years of sales experience as a “hunter” for new business.
By keeping the mindset that you are prospecting as an advisor, you can seek to identify your prospect’s challenges and think about how you would resolve them.
When you focus on “understanding” what the other person has to say, you can achieve optimum results when prospecting for new sales.
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Growing Via Symbiosis of Partnerships & Alliances
The Boston Business Journal |
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When you decide to develop a channel strategy, you are seeking to extend market reach, drive productivity, lower sales costs, create incremental revenue and provide customers with a complete package. By developing sales through channel partners and strategic alliances, you can reach more customers and sell more products.
However, as your company grows, you must think through your goals for a channel strategy and understand the impact on your company before moving forward.
Strategic alliances can be very powerful contributors to growth.
However, as your company grows, you must think through your goals for a channel strategy and understand the impact on your company before moving forward.
Strategic alliances can be very powerful contributors to growth.