Appointment Setting: Do Take “No” for an Answer

Categories Getting the Appointment
Appointment Setting

Any aspiring salesperson is taught the value of persistence. It is arguably the foundation of the profession as success is rarely attained without it. Yet between all the strategies out there, from initiating conversations to overcoming objections, the virtue of patience can be forgotten. While persistence is a good quality, it can backfire if a salesperson crosses the line and is perceived as harassing – ultimately jeopardizing long-term sales efforts. An Uphill Battle Overcoming objections is a crucial feature of sales. The very nature of…Continue Reading “Appointment Setting: Do Take “No” for an Answer” →

Using Appointment Setting for Year Round Lead Generation

Categories Getting the Appointment
using appointment setting

With a new year just around the corner, many sales organizations are in crunch mode trying to achieve year-end goals while also gearing up to kick-start the New Year with a big bang. While the 1st and 4th quarters are critical, there’s a lot of momentum and closed deals that take place in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and contribute to a company’s annual revenue growth. Therefore, a good lead generation playbook can offer a sales organization a solid plan on how to optimize its…Continue Reading “Using Appointment Setting for Year Round Lead Generation” →

Voicemail Best Practices

Categories Getting the Appointment
Voicemail Best Practices

Leaving a voicemail may seem like a repetitive task that rarely sees results. If your sales team can focus and improve upon the strategic tips below, your team will quickly notice a positive impact on the rate at which potential customers engage with your brand and return missed calls. Implementing tactics that capture undivided attention and ensure a high-quality message will allow your sales team’s voicemail strategy to become significantly more effective, leading to higher close and response rates. Set the Tone To clarify the…Continue Reading “Voicemail Best Practices” →

Benefits of Outsourcing Appointment Setting

Categories Appointment Setting, Getting the Appointment
Outsourcing Appointment Setting

Appointment setting is crucial for sales organizations that rely on leads and a key element of their success. The sales cycle still involves suspects becoming prospects and prospects becoming leads. A critical step in the process of then converting those leads into actual customers is the sales appointment. The sale comes only after the sales appointment is set with the right decision maker. The tone, style, and information conveyed in the setting of the appointment may create the first impression of the company and its…Continue Reading “Benefits of Outsourcing Appointment Setting” →

Do You Know Your Sales Team’s Batting Average?

Categories Getting the Appointment, Sales
Sales Team's Batting Average?

With Spring Training in full swing and Opening Day quickly approaching, have you ever thought about your own “team” in terms of America’s Favorite Pastime? Long before Brad Pitt and Moneyball, baseball has been a game full of statistics and rankings. Similarly, sales leaders and sales teams measure their success based on metrics and analytics. Too often, though, the method of computations used to measure sales get complicated- making it time-consuming for sales leaders and confusing for salespeople. A batting average is a great statical measure…Continue Reading “Do You Know Your Sales Team’s Batting Average?” →

The 5 Stages of Sales Prospecting

Categories Getting the Appointment, Negotiating, Presenting, Proposing
5 Stages of Sales Prospecting

Sales prospecting is a process that turns your target market into a customer sale. Breaking down the process into 5 stages can help you not only notice areas of improvement but figure out ways in which you can increase sales and make your work more efficient and effective. The first three stages of sales prospecting are the ideal customer profile, suspects, and prospects. These three stages are essential to determining who you want to target, which of your suspects fit into this target and interacting…Continue Reading “The 5 Stages of Sales Prospecting” →

7 Tried and True B2B Appointment Setting Techniques

Categories Getting the Appointment, Sales
B2B Appointment Setting Techniques

One of our favorite lead generation sayings is that within each sale, two sales actually take place: the selling of the appointment, and the sale of the service. Appointment setting, thus, is the first “sale,” and is a crucial step in the purchasing process. So, what steps can your business take today to increase your sales appointments— all while engaging with only the most qualified leads? #1. Go after the decision makers themselves. Why try to work your way up when you can just begin…Continue Reading “7 Tried and True B2B Appointment Setting Techniques” →

The Formula for Deal Generation

Categories Getting the Appointment, Negotiating, Presenting, Proposing
Formula for Deal Generation

As lead generation transitions to the more efficient and effective strategy for a deal generation, it is imperative to understand the differences between the two. The primary differentiators can be broken down into four components: strategy, prospects, work and results. Proven methods are an essential component of both lead and deal generation. The noticeable variation between the two strategies is the focus on quality over quantity. Lead generations’ quantity focus results in a 75% less efficient use of resources while deal generation’s quality emphasis highlights…Continue Reading “The Formula for Deal Generation” →

The Art of Schmoozing. It’s More Than a Suit & Tie

Categories Getting the Appointment
The Art of Schmoozing

Wine and dine, booze and schmooze… whatever you call it, showing your prospects a good time is, for many sales professionals, simply part of what it takes to seal a deal. But, just as different parts of the sales process – and indeed, different prospects themselves – require a customized approach, so does the “wine and dine” part of the process. Not all prospects will respond the same to your efforts, so taking a smart approach matters. Let’s talk about the core ways you can…Continue Reading “The Art of Schmoozing. It’s More Than a Suit & Tie” →

Your Prospect’s Most Common Objections & How to Conquer Them

Categories Getting the Appointment
Most Common Objections

Whether you’ve been working in sales for a week, a year, or a decade, you know that there are many instances when a prospect will object, for whatever reason, to moving forward with a sale. Some of these objections are legitimate, but many of them – even ones that might seem unsurmountable – might be conquered with the right approach. If you just smiled and hung up every time a prospect seemed reticent to move forward, you probably wouldn’t be doing much selling anyway! Knowing…Continue Reading “Your Prospect’s Most Common Objections & How to Conquer Them” →