Good Day America!
I’m here to talk top-line sales growth. I’ve operated as a salesperson, a sales recruiter, sales manager, sales consultant, and sales coach. I love the art and magic of selling and want to be the best. This blog is for those continually learning with me. You own or work for a great B2B sales organization, customers don’t just fall in your lap and need to be hunted, and it just isn’t growing as fast as you’d like to be.
Topics I will be covering in my blog:
- Targeting: The #1 component of lead generation for any company is taking aim at a very specific audience.
- Data Mining and Database Management: How do you find your intel? Is your sales database being maximized and are the task lists being used and enforced?
- Cold Calling: Script better verbiage for suspects; how can we make them warmer? Better yet, don’t do them.
- Warm Calling: Design your “Fundamental Questions”; use the data and your network to sell faster.
- Qualifying: Create the 5-10 questions you ask every time. Get the prospect to say yes or no.
- The Pitch: What are you saying, showing and asking? Tell stories and use the power of your features and benefits to pique your prospects’ interest.
- Meetings: The demo/presentation and delivery method can always be better. The tools, intangibles and skills can be learned and sharpened.
- Budget and Proposals: Early on, their budget parameters must be discussed. The follow-up proposal should include unique solutions catering to a prospect’s needs.
- Closing: Your sales team needs to learn and hone this skill. There are too many other technology solutions out there and closing is the most important sales attribute.
- Metrics: All the historical statistics from the first cold call – to meetings and follow-ups – to closing should be measured and analyzed.
- Creativity: Salespeople need to do more than just make phone calls and send emails.
- Persistence: Your sales force must have urgency and press to move sales forward.
- Teamwork: How does team selling work in your organization from the lead gen to the demo and close? Are you selling to the entire team on the prospect’s end?
- Listening: Most of your interactions should be questions and short pitches until the prospect starts asking you questions.
- Jedi Mind Tricks: Interactions with prospects are chances you can learn to control. Before shucking your amazing technology, understand techniques to master the sale.
- Authenticity: If you can’t be yourself and have fun with all of the above, you shouldn’t be in sales. Salespeople like winning, helping and interacting with other people.
My intention ahead isn’t to sell me, but to communicate with you and stay current on the latest trends and sales topics. Sales organizations perform an amazing service! There’s a lot of great salespeople out there. But not enough great products, operations, systems or organizations – so we have some work to do. I vow to continue to keep it personal and lively as well, so stay away from those dull posts and please ride along with me!
Make it a great day~
Drew Schmitz
@drew_schmitz
Blue Octopus LLC 
Love the blog Drew – thanks for continuing to share!