| Go out and sell something! Way too many | | | | grow revenues. Referrals are the most powerful |
| companies adhere to this line of thinking and sell | | | | lead source because it places you in front of |
| the wrong prospect at the wrong margins. Before | | | | qualified prospects resulting in shorter sales cycles |
| you get ready to "sell something," put some | | | | and bigger deals. |
| thought into who you should sell to, how to | | | | - Associations: The key to associations is getting |
| create the opportunity to sell, and what it takes | | | | involved with a committee or running a |
| to gain a competitive advantage resulting in a | | | | committee. If you are just attending the meeting, |
| profitable win. Here are three points to consider: | | | | chances are you will get the same results as |
| 1. Get clear on your ideal client. | | | | everyone else attending the meeting...little to none. |
| Not everyone deserves to be your client. I | | | | The reason is simple. People of influence on |
| repeat, not everyone deserves to be your client. | | | | committees and are more likely and able to |
| What type of prospect does your company | | | | provide introductions to your ideal clients when |
| serve best? What type of prospect is willing to | | | | you are more involved. |
| pay for your expertise and services? There are | | | | - Host a workshop: Partner with other |
| three basic areas to consider when identifying | | | | organizations and host a workshop that brings |
| your ideal client: | | | | prospects into the room. For example, we partner |
| - Size of client: Is there a certain dollar volume | | | | with a local law firm and invite clients to a |
| where you win more business? Does a mid-size | | | | "Selecting and Hiring Top Sales Talent" workshop. |
| company need and value your services more | | | | The law firm has clients that need to learn how |
| than a Fortune 500? | | | | to build high performing sales teams and we have |
| - Niche: Is there a niche that your solutions serve | | | | clients that want to learn about employee law and |
| exceptionally well? Is it possible for you to | | | | contracts. |
| become the "go to" person in a niche and own it? | | | | 3. Learn how to run a consultative sales call. |
| - Philosophy: Ideal clients will treat you as a | | | | If you are still selling features, advantages and |
| partner, not a vendor. They believe in win-win | | | | benefits, there is a good chance you will be beat |
| relationships where everyone makes a fair profit | | | | by the sales professional employing critical thinking |
| versus nickel and diming over every transaction. | | | | skills and consultative selling skills. The consultative |
| 2. Develop a comprehensive prospecting strategy | | | | salesperson knows how to "quantify the |
| around your ideal client. | | | | prospect's pain" and win deals at higher margins. |
| Too many companies focus on one type of | | | | Today's prospect expects a couple of things; 1) |
| prospecting activity for generating leads, i.e., they | | | | they want a sales professional that makes their |
| make 25 cold calls a day. A good prospecting | | | | brain "hurt" and, 2) they expect the salesperson |
| strategy is similar to a well-planned financial | | | | to understand the business of business. It is |
| portfolio. It is diversified and includes a variety of | | | | important to show how solutions provided by |
| sales activities. Here are three sales activities to | | | | your product or services incorporate into the |
| incorporate in your business development plan: | | | | prospect's overall business strategy. |
| - Referral partners: Start meeting with other | | | | Start influencing that bottom line by executing an |
| vendors who call on the same prospects as you | | | | effective sales strategy and closing with effective |
| but don't offer a competing product or service. | | | | sales tactics. |
| Create a "mini sales team" and help each other | | | | |