Sales 2.0

Articles on sales prospecting

Want to be an Expert?

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I have had conversations with sales executives in the past where we came to an interesting conclusion: it would help them sell more if they were an expert.

Seems to make sense right? If you were an expert, wouldn’t it help you sell more?

But maybe a little voice might be saying in the back of your head, “I’m not an expert”. Well, good news. Anybody can become an “expert” these days.

Due to tools like blogging everyone can publish. And not only that, everyone can get their word out too. So if you can write, have something reasonably interesting to say, you can publish it and can the word out so some people read it. You are an expert.

An even if you cannot write to save your life there are other tools available to you to be an expert. If you can speak, you can start speaking at events – online (webinars) or offline (physical events). There are plenty of people looking for speakers (I know, I’ve run plenty of events in my time as well as been a speaker). Again you just need something reasonably interesting to say and the ability to market it. You can also get into podcasting or video.

What’s the point? Well, think about how people feel about buying from an “expert” versus a “sales person”.

Credibility is one of the key factors in selling. We all try to “sniff out” if someone is credible. If you are perceived by your prospect as an “expert”, much of the discussion of credibility (perceived risk for the buyer) will dissipate. It will make your prospecting and closing of deals much easier.

I’ve seen that happen for us over the years that I have been blogging. And it accelerated when I started combining my blog posts with those of already “recognized experts”.

So how about becoming an expert?

Old-fashioned sales techniques

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Sometimes it pays to do what is “out”.

Social selling has become synonymous with technology. Many definitions make it all about using social media to sell.

But I think social selling is about being social and actual human beings do more than just hang out on social media platforms. [Read more…]

Google thyself!

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When you send a prospect an email or leave them a voicemail what do many of them do?

They Google you (as well as your company.)

As you know, buyers are seriously concerned about burning their time these days. If you happen to pique someone’s interest with your brilliant email or voicemail they are likely to vet you before they call you back and invest their precious time. [Read more…]

Social Capital changes prospecting results

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The big difference between a cold call and a referral call is social capital.

Social capital is the currency of relationships. It’s the currency of trust. If you’ve been in sales doing it the old school cold calling way long enough you may start to believe social capital does not mean anything. But I believe it means a lot. [Read more…]

Pull the trigger

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In this post, I want to tell you about something that boosts prospecting results: trigger events. A “trigger event” is when something changes in your prospect’s world.

Change is good for you when you’re selling as when something changes in your prospect’s world, it often creates a need. Sometimes that need is something your product can address and hence a sales opportunity is created. [Read more…]

Build a prospecting team

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The biggest challenge facing most sales people and small business owners is getting meetings with prospective clients.

Cold prospecting techniques get harder-and-harder every day. Even cold techniques turbocharged with boatloads of technology get harder-and-harder every day as everyone gets the technology and the arms race for a better sales stack escalates.

[Read more…]