Tuesday May 15, 2012
Few sales situations are more annoying than the prospect who pulls the plug right at the end by saying, "I need to think about this. I'll call you in a few days," or something equally vague. One moment you're sure he's about to sign on the dotted line and the next, you're being given the bum's rush out the door.
Well, if a prospect asks for more time you don't have much choice but to comply. However, the way you respond to his objection will make the difference between closing the sale in a few days or losing it entirely.
Time Objections
Related Reading
Types of Objections
Why Sales Fail
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Sunday May 13, 2012
Email newsletters are pretty popular these days, and with good reason. A regular newsletter is a way to follow up with prospects without seeming to nag them. You keep reminding them of your presence, but in a positive and helpful way that keeps you at the top of their list when they're ready to buy.
Newsletters are just as helpful in retaining your existing customers. It's sort of a 'value-added benefit' - when they buy your product, they also get regular tips and advice from you! And finally, newsletters let you position yourself as an expert in the subject, meaning that your recipients will be inclined to turn to you for advice.
Email Newsletters
Related Reading
Successful Email Sales
Turn Your Customers Into Company Ambassadors
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Thursday May 10, 2012
A couple of interesting articles appeared recently on very different sales-type topics. First, Business Insider posted an article about the importance of following up to recover supposedly lost sales. It includes a list of different follow-up methods that you can deploy based on how the sales cycle has proceeded so far.
Win Old Sales with This Simple Technique
Second, Selling Power's blog has an intriguing post on the proper roles of logic and emotion in the sales process. The post points out that while logic (i.e. facts) is important, emotion is what usually makes the difference between a sale and a decline.
The Right Use of Logic and Emotion in Sales
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Wednesday May 9, 2012
Webinar Wednesday is a celebration of all things webinar. You will find upcoming webinars, links to recorded webinars for those who missed them on the first go-round, and occasional recaps of webinars I recently attended.
New Webinars:
"Success Story Webinar: Sales Transformation Yields New Outcomes for Cardinal Health" (Wednesday, May 16th 1:00 pm ET) - hosted by Chally Group. The latest installment of the Sales Transformation 3.0 webinar series is a case study about Cardinal Health Nuclear Pharmacy Services.
"People, Process, Performance - Sales Enablement's Essential Ingredients" (Thursday, May 17th 1:00 pm ET) - hosted by The Sales Management Association. Creating a supportive sales environment and enabling the sales team.
"Sales Forecasts: How to Get a Realistic View of Sales Opportunities" (Thursday, May 24th 2:00 pm ET) - hosted by Selling Power. Tips and tricks for creating accurate sales forecasts.
Recorded Webinars:
"What Not to Do in an Introductory Email" - hosted by Wendy Weiss, "The Queen of Cold Calling."
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