How to Get a "Yes!" to Your Proposal
Selling Energy
APRIL 6, 2023
Why might your prospect be willing to say “yes” to taking on a proposed energy solution? Is it about saving energy? Saving money? Saving carbon? Something else?
Danger, Danger! The Pitfalls of Premature Proposals
SalesProInsider
DECEMBER 4, 2019
And in listening to the stories of these new couples, no matter how they initially met, there was time, shared experiences, and getting to know each other before the engagement proposal. Premature Proposals Lead to Broken Engagements. How to Know if It’s Time for a Proposal. An Opportunity or an Assignment? What to Do Instead.
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6-Slide Proposal
KO Advantage Group
JUNE 4, 2020
The proposal in the sales process is the last moment we get to bridge our relationships from prospects to clients. Why do so many people confuse this document with everything that a proposal shouldn't be, or send it through the worst possible way "I'll email you something". Here are the slides that go into the 6-slide proposal.
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Technical Appendix of Your Proposal
Selling Energy
OCTOBER 14, 2022
Yesterday, I wrote about why you should avoid discussing the technical aspects of your efficiency projects and instead consider how your prospect might be emotionally drawn to your project.
Proposal 75
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Uncover Compelling Non-Energy Benefits for Your Products and Services
Selling Energy
SEPTEMBER 1, 2022
In selling efficiency, there are three main “value categories” that you can bring to the table when proposing a project: utility-cost financial benefits; non-utility-cost financial benefits; and, non-financial benefits.
Benefit 80
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Are you ready to ‘receive’? more money?
Bernadette McClelland
MAY 22, 2022
Proposal iterations and. And to those of you for whom this rings a bell, I am going to challenge you to be more aware of the language you use around selling, prospecting, negotiating, asking for the business and achieving (or overachieving) targets and encourage you to reassess your wording as a first step. Demonstrations.
Energy 448
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How to Present a Winning One-Page Proposal
Selling Energy
NOVEMBER 11, 2022
For this reason, you need to make a thoughtfully drafted one-page proposal a no-exceptions best practice. It’s the document that gets your prospect motivated to move forward. Concise communication is a key ingredient in any winning sales process.
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Save Yourself Time and Ditch the Big Proposal
Selling Energy
OCTOBER 27, 2022
How often do weighty “free audits,” detailed technical studies, or long-winded proposals drive customers to embrace efficiency? How many times in your career have you either offered one of these things to a prospect, or received one yourself with horror realizing that now you have to read the thing or at least pretend you did?
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8 of the Most Difficult Types of Prospects (& How to Deal With Them), According to Real Sales Leaders
Hubspot Sales
MARCH 25, 2024
Here it is: Prospects aren't always easy to deal with. So to help you get a sense of the kinds of buyers you need to look out for (and what to do when you‘re dealing with them), we asked some sales leaders for their takes on the most difficult types of prospects to work with and how to engage with them effectively. You're welcome.
Prospecting 105
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How to Reengineer Your Sales Training Program
SalesFuel
MARCH 26, 2024
They achieve this goal by maintaining a high win rate on their proposals. In addition, consultative selling skills stand out when top performers engage with prospects. These sellers quickly determine the business problems facing their prospects. Armed with that information, they put together effective proposals.
Training 116
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Sales Energy Audits: How to Increase Revenue by Shifting Your Sales-Energy Use
SBI
JANUARY 22, 2013
Sales Energy Audits: How to Increase Revenue by Shifting Your Sales-Energy Use. Twenty years ago, the connection between energy efficiency and environmental benefits was poorly understood by the general population. Today, nearly everyone agrees that it’s important to save energy. Converting Prospects.
Energy 138
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Put Yourself into Your Prospect's Shoes
Selling Energy
JULY 27, 2023
It may sound simple, but one of the best strategies for determining the ideal sales approach for a given prospect is to get into their shoes. There is no universal sales strategy that works across the board, so you need to figure out exactly what each prospect cares most about and work that angle into your proposal.
Prospecting 79
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Personalization Should Be Synonymous With Prospects
Pipeliner
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
If salespeople want to maximize their profits and make the most out of their time, they need to learn how to personalize their prospects while conserving time. While this might seem contradictory, it can be done with good prospecting software and a detailed prospecting plan. . The Importance of Continually Prospecting.
Prospecting 98
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How to Present a Winning One-Page Proposal
Selling Energy
JANUARY 22, 2021
For this reason, you need to make a thoughtfully drafted one-page proposal a no-exceptions best practice. It’s the document that gets your prospect motivated to move forward. Concise communication is a key ingredient in any winning sales process.
Proposal 52
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Who Really Sells a Multifamily Energy Project?
Selling Energy
OCTOBER 2, 2019
A casual observer would assume that “vendors” and “contractors” sell energy efficiency projects to multifamily building owners. In reality, the energy managers and other internal champions connected to those buildings wind up doing most of the “selling.”
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Get Visual
Selling Energy
MARCH 14, 2023
If you want to capture the attention of a prospect who doesn’t have the attention span (or ability) to fully understand a formal written proposal with its complex financials and technical appendices, consider adding some visuals to convey value. They called the campaign “March Utility Madness” to coincide with basketball season.
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Work Your Angle
Selling Energy
JULY 4, 2023
When you approach a prospect with a proposal, you need to make a clear decision about what angle you plan to take. Are you placing your emphasis on energy savings? Are you placing it on being a good corporate citizen? Are you placing it on sustainability?
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Email opens aren’t enough to measure prospect engagement
DocSend
JUNE 3, 2020
How many times have you chased down an email open only to find out a prospect isn’t actually interested? We’ve all done it before: We’ve followed up with a prospect after they open our email, maybe even several times. By the time we realize these opportunities are dead ends, we’ve wasted a lot of time and energy.
Collateral 90
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Trojan Horse Basics
Selling Energy
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
When it comes to proposing energy efficiency changes, it may seem overwhelming to your prospects. As with any Selling Energy strategy , you’ll have to ask yourself how to overcome their objections.
Government 75
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Project Barriers
Selling Energy
APRIL 29, 2022
There are countless reasons that a proposed energy project might not be approved. Rather than trying to predict which objections might surface during the approval process, ask your prospect to provide you with a sneak preview of what lies ahead: “What barriers have you faced in getting your projects approved in the past?”.
Face-to-face 82
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Remember the Hierarchy of Factors
Selling Energy
FEBRUARY 7, 2023
You may recall Seth Godin’s hierarchy of factors that cause a non-business-owner to say “yes” to a proposal made in a business-to-business setting: avoiding risk, avoiding hassle, gaining praise, gaining power, having fun, and finally, making a profit.
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Time To Get Around To It
The Pipeline
OCTOBER 23, 2017
But many sales people cherry pick time, and use it to avoid things that have to be done, like prospecting for example. Regularly when I ask buyers why they didn’t prospect, or when they plan to prospect, I hear “I’ll get around to it when I have time”. Which may lead one to conclude that they do not want to prospect.
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9 Things You Should Never Say to a Prospect Over Email
Hubspot Sales
APRIL 2, 2018
I wanted to follow up on the proposal.”. "Do Have you had time to read through the proposal?". “I I’m looking forward to working with you [prospect].". Great to meet you [prospect]! You’re working with a prospect. If I had called earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of time and energy.
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Remember the Hierarchy of Factors
Selling Energy
FEBRUARY 7, 2023
You may recall Seth Godin’s hierarchy of factors that cause a non-business-owner to say “yes” to a proposal made in a business-to-business setting: avoiding risk, avoiding hassle, gaining praise, gaining power, having fun, and finally, making a profit.
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How to Differentiate Between Warm and Hot Leads
Zoominfo
JULY 23, 2020
They typically: Have both the budget and the authority to accept your proposal. You’re better off directing your energy at generating warm leads. Once you’ve segmented your target audience, you can begin to send out relevant content to targeted groups of prospects. Good content attracts prospects, it’s as simple as that.
THE INITIAL GOAL OF A COLD CALL IS…. To Assess if There’s a Fit
Keith Rosen
JANUARY 2, 2020
Think about the initial objective of your prospecting efforts. If you think the goal is to close a sale, deliver a presentation, submit a proposal or schedule an appointment, think again. Consider this.
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Trojan Horse Basics
Selling Energy
SEPTEMBER 4, 2020
When it comes to proposing energy efficiency changes, it may seem overwhelming to your prospects. As with any Selling Energy strategy , you’ll have to ask yourself how to overcome their objections.
Government 52
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Don't Talk Past the Sale
Selling Energy
AUGUST 31, 2022
I talk a lot about being concise and focusing attention on the real value proposition, particularly in the context of written proposals. While it’s vital that your proposals are short, persuasive, and understandable, it’s equally important that you trim down your talking points when meeting with a prospect face-to-face.
Face-to-face 76
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Trojan Horse Basics
Selling Energy
NOVEMBER 29, 2019
When it comes to proposing energy efficiency changes, it may seem overwhelming to your prospects. As with any Selling Energy strategy , you’ll have to ask yourself how to overcome their objections.
Government 53
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FU Is For Follow Up
The Pipeline
JULY 17, 2014
Based on recent experiences I’ve had as a prospect, and seeing how some sales people execute their sale, I am beginning to firmly believe that there is an expert on clairvoyance , who on his blog, is recommending to his readers that those who can’t cut it as clairvoyants, strongly consider a career in sales. Here are but two examples.
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Why are Salespeople Afraid to Sell? How to Overcome the FEAR of Selling and Prospecting in 5 Minutes
Keith Rosen
DECEMBER 4, 2019
Does the idea of prospecting scare you? Even if you’re hiding behind Social Media as your primary lead generation strategy, you eventually need to speak with every prospect! Here’s how to overcome sales and prospecting reluctance permanently to become a fearless rainmaker and prospecting prodigy. I fear rejection.
Cold Calling 71
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4 Steps to Make Your Sales Life Easier
No More Cold Calling
JANUARY 20, 2015
You’ve got your head down, drafting a proposal or implementing a complex solution with a client. It’s a good thing that once your proposal writing is finished and your client engagement has successfully concluded, you can step back and relax a little. You’ve still got to prospect. By putting better systems in place.
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The Best 10 Conversational AI for Sales
Hubspot Sales
SEPTEMBER 20, 2023
Since you’re taking some work off the team’s plate, they will approach the tasks that need them with more energy and enthusiasm. Conversational AI can generate better emails and content that you can use to nurture and send to your prospects. Meeting note-taking is an excellent example of AI done well. to summarize her calls.
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Want More Sales? Hiring More Salespeople May Not Be the Answer
Alice Heiman
OCTOBER 25, 2022
Write quotes and proposals. Send emails to prospects and customers. . Answer emails from prospects and customers. Build and research prospect lists. . Send prospecting emails. . Make prospecting calls. . She saw them stumbling through creating SOWs, quotes, and proposals. Wait for pricing information.
Hiring 84
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Great views from the Summit -- the Sales Summit, that is.
Jeffrey Gitomer
MARCH 18, 2019
Synergize your goals – combine business and fitness goals to maximize energy and productivity. Propose a deal in a way that demonstrates "This is what I would buy if it was my money." (Ron (Joy Shanks, President of WordsWorth). Scott Seachrist, Fitness Director of The Crown Athletic Club). Be yourself.
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Simple Tips to Improve Your Writing
Selling Energy
JULY 21, 2023
Whether we’re writing a proposal for a prospect, sending an email, or drafting a blog post, writing is an essential part of our jobs. As sales professionals , we use written communication on a daily basis. To uphold our image of professionalism, it is vital that our writing be both accurate and effective.
Proposal 72
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Risk vs. Certainty
Selling Energy
OCTOBER 3, 2023
It may sound simple, but one of the best strategies for determining the ideal sales approach for a given prospect is to step into their shoes. There is no universal sales strategy that works across the board, so you need to figure out exactly what each prospect cares most about and work that angle into your proposal.
Proposal 59
59 The Best Way to Sell Is With a Story
Sales and Marketing Management
OCTOBER 16, 2017
They’ve been through it so many times they can rattle off the typical objections from customers and prospects: “I don’t have time to hear this pitch”. Storytelling gives a prospect a compelling reason to hear you out. Early stage prospects often gravitate toward videos and short, educational demonstrations. Closing the deal.
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No More "20 Questions"
Selling Energy
JUNE 2, 2023
A lot of people think that consultative selling is the ultimate solution – that if you just ask a lot of questions, the prospect will think that you’re interested in them and you’ll get a lot of information that you can somehow cobble into a compelling proposal.
A Very Simple Explanation of How to Sell Effectively
Anthony Iannarino
APRIL 17, 2020
Make a List of Prospects : Some certain people or companies could benefit from what you sell. Call Your Prospects : Let’s leave aside ideas like prospecting sequences and anything that would require you to spend a lot of time and energy before you can get started.
How To 100
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Simple Payback Is Thinking Too Simply
Selling Energy
JANUARY 10, 2023
Simple Payback Period (SPP) is a metric that all too many prospects are tempted to use when deciding whether or not to fund an expense-reducing capital project. In most cases, it’s far too simple a tool to evaluate proposed projects accurately. As many of you already know, I am not a big fan of SPP.
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Using Custom ChatGPT AI Technology to Power Your Sales
Accent Technologies
JULY 18, 2023
The movie showcases the beginning of the nuclear age and the power of atomic energy. Much like the tiny atom that hides colossal amounts of energy, organizations harbor an extraordinary amount of business value within their information systems. Likewise, the extraction, organization, and mining of information are crucial.
Lead Rank 52
52 Message to Management: Get the Rocks Off the Road
No More Cold Calling
SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
The focus of most sales efforts is on part two—conducting a sales call, asking probing questions, proposing, presenting, and closing. How much time and energy do you typically spend thinking about part one—getting in front of the right people? Converting prospects into customers. Think about it. Your Sales Challenge.
Referrals 227
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Responding to the Digital Sales Shift
Sales and Marketing Management
DECEMBER 14, 2020
In fact, Kavadellas, CEO of Georgia-based Orasi, a software developer, reseller and consulting firm, was scheduled to play a round with a client and a prospect the day after we spoke with him in November for this story. Orasi’s team of 12 field sales reps is supplemented with 10 inside salespeople who call on a second tier of prospects.
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