INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
Sales leaders must take the rap. We used to hire account based sales reps, indoctrinate them with product knowledge and a smattering of business culture, and give them a few lead generation tools. Then we gave them a phone, a list, and, a desk, and expected them to figure out how to book meetings. MORE
If not, what does that say about the state of sales ethics? The facilitator asked a provocative question: How many of you would tell your children to pursue a sales career? Everyone laughed, but no hands went up. MORE
Remember, prospecting is all about people. You’ve heard it: Television will kill radio. Video killed the radio star. And technology will eliminate the time-consuming, face-to-face aspect of communication. Um, no. Not in your personal life, and certainly not in your lead generation system. MORE
Even in the age of artificial intelligence, common sense still matters. Technology addiction is running rampant. We spend more time looking at screens than talking to the people who matter. MORE
But here’s what they’re missing on referral B2B lead generation. MORE
Don’t believe everything you hear about women. Women don’t speak up, don’t apply for jobs unless they meet 100 percent of the requirements, go unnoticed, and lack confidence. That’s why more of us haven’t broken through the glass ceiling yet. At least that’s what we’ve read in article after article. MORE
Price isn’t an issue with referral business. More than 10 years ago, a marketing agency told me most sellers cave on price before prospects even ask for a discount. Sadly, that behavior continues in sales negotiations today. MORE
Top sellers don’t wait. At least 57 percent of the buying process is complete before buyers ever contact your company. If you believe this widely quoted but ill-advised statistic, your lead generation techniques are doomed from the start. MORE
Does your sales team struggle to get referrals? Here’s why. When I read a checklist of account based sales development strategies that omitted referral selling, I asked the creator why. After a long pause, her response was, “I don’t know.” That sent me over the top. MORE
Find out how to unclog your sales pipeline. Let me guess. Your lead generation process plays out like this: You don’t have enough leads in your pipe, and your reps aren’t calling high enough. MORE
Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. I don’t like to negotiate for my services. It’s uncomfortable, because I know the pricing and terms for my referral system are fair. MORE
Do you really need more leads? Sure, cold calling techniques put lots of leads in the pipe. Enough for management to see that reps made the requisite number of phone calls, email pitches, and social media connections. But are those really leads, or just smoke-and-mirror numbers? MORE
Don’t assume your team knows how to ask for referrals. Tim told me his team was “doing referrals.” He figured they knew how to get referrals because he told them to do it. I asked how that approach was working for him. Dead silence. And therein lies the problem. A big problem. MORE
Stop cold calling on social media. You’re not one of those people who blast me with a sales pitch after I accept your LinkedIn invitation, are you? I don’t think so, because you’ve been reading my blog, so you know by now that social selling is all about being social. MORE
You don’t have to be the life of the party to succeed in sales. She lights up a room when she walks in. She doesn’t have to say a word, but you know she’s there. She looks for every opportunity to show up—at parties, networking events, conferences, you name it. She thrives on the interaction. MORE
How does your team work when no one is looking? For the first time ever, clients are asking me how to build a “referral culture.” Sales VP Sam told me he wants to create a referral culture, as did CRO Sue, and CEO Amanda. MORE
Referrals are HOT, HOT, HOT! Stop rationalizing. There’s no such thing as a warm anything in sales—an email, phone call, social media outreach, or even a knock on the door. Unless your prospect knows who you are and expects to hear from you, you might as well step into a freezer. MORE
The odds might not be in your sales team’s favor … yet. I’ve interviewed many sales reps over the past two months, trying to better understand the challenges they face in today’s fast-paced, digital-first sales environment. They tell me they’re overwhelmed. MORE
Salespeople are only as good as the people they know. When is it time to toss the technology and start talking to people? When internet leads and a call script no longer reap new business. When it interferes with the most powerful tool in your toolbox—you. Don’t get me wrong. MORE
It’s time to get serious about business referrals. In spite of numerous misconceptions and poor implementation, referrals in business are where the power is. But the first step to harnessing this power is understanding just what referral selling is and how it feeds your sales machine. MORE
Referral sales is personal … but it’s still business. I recently received the following email: “I finished your book on referral sales last night, and now I’m building my 100 names so that I can ask for introductions to a couple of decent sales reps with some experience selling to my market. MORE
The best prospecting strategies require a human touch. Buyers know everything about our companies, products, and solutions before they ever speak to a salesperson. Believe that? Far too many sales reps do. They think that digital rules. MORE
Here’s what you might have missed last month from No More Cold Calling. Wondering how to get leads? Not just smoke-and-mirror leads, but only qualified leads? Every sales rep asks that question, and surveys of sales leaders confirm that getting leads in the pipeline is their top challenge. MORE
Has digital communication killed traditional sales techniques? A sales VP was frustrated with her account based sales team, as they relied almost exclusively on technology for generating sales leads. Their outreach took too long. MORE
What’s your gratitude meter? As we begin the New Year, now is the perfect time to pay attention to what’s most important—the people in our lives. That means our clients and prospects, our families and friends, our colleagues. It’s time we remember the value of getting personal. MORE
What’s trust got to do with it? When we showed my 85-year-old aunt how to use a computer, she told us she still hadn’t figured out how the telephone worked, so don’t bother. She walked out of the room. End of conversation. MORE
Do you have the wrong KPI? If you’re like most sales leaders, you’re tracking the wrong referral metrics and spinning your wheels. Craig had only one referral KPI, and it was the wrong one: the number of prospect meetings that his reps conducted. MORE
Because what you’re already doing isn’t working. Your lead generation tactics aren’t driving bottom line revenue. That’s a fact. I’ve just returned from three conferences, and the #1 challenge I heard sales pros repeat again and again was how to get leads in the pipe. MORE
Getting referrals business should be top. priority in your sales prospecting techniques. Message to sales leaders: Your job is to get the rocks off the road so your team can close deals, exceed quota, and blow past revenue goals. That’s not happening with cold calling. MORE
Pointing fingers doesn’t change anything. Why don’t account based selling teams ask for referrals? Why is asking for referrals ad hoc and not a discipline? It makes no sense at all, because every sales leader and account based sales rep knows that referrals are their hottest leads and best business. MORE
Street smarts or book smarts—which is better for sales? We only hired college graduates, or so I thought. So, when the president of my company hired a Sales VP without a degree, I challenged him. MORE
A Complete Guide to Putting the “Social” Back in Social Selling. Social selling has finally (and dangerously) reached buzzword status. Dangerously, because there are misperceptions about what it means, how to do it, and just as importantly, how not to do it. MORE
You can do what the data tells you, or you can do what works. Which do you trust more—the lead generation data manufactured by sales technology tools and artificial intelligence, or your intuition, which is generated by years of experience and your emotional intelligence? MORE
Do sales organizations really need a B2B sales strategy? After all, pundits tell us it’s the buyer’s journey that matters. They’re in control, so shouldn’t account-based selling pros just be prepared to wing it? MORE
Do your lead generation strategies encourage persistence and curiosity? A 10-year-old girl was afraid that if she once again asked her brother to teach her to play the guitar, he would think she was being pushy. Hearing her express this fear was enough to set me off. MORE
Here’s what you might have missed from No More Cold Calling this month. Are you asking for referrals from every one of your clients? Not just your buyers, but from all the people you meet at client companies during the buying process? I’m not a mind-reader, but I already know your answer. MORE
No More Cold Calling
OCTOBER 18, 2018
Getting referrals business should be top. priority in your sales prospecting techniques. Message to sales leaders: Your job is to get the rocks off the road so your team can close deals, exceed quota, and blow past revenue goals. That’s not happening with cold calling.
No More Cold Calling
OCTOBER 4, 2018
But here’s what they’re missing on referral B2B lead generation.
No More Cold Calling
OCTOBER 11, 2018
Do you really need more leads? Sure, cold calling techniques put lots of leads in the pipe. Enough for management to see that reps made the requisite number of phone calls, email pitches, and social media connections. But are those really leads, or just smoke-and-mirror numbers?
No More Cold Calling
SEPTEMBER 6, 2018
How does your team work when no one is looking? For the first time ever, clients are asking me how to build a “referral culture.” Sales VP Sam told me he wants to create a referral culture, as did CRO Sue, and CEO Amanda.
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No More Cold Calling
SEPTEMBER 27, 2018
If not, what does that say about the state of sales ethics? The facilitator asked a provocative question: How many of you would tell your children to pursue a sales career? Everyone laughed, but no hands went up.
No More Cold Calling
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
Do you have the wrong KPI? If you’re like most sales leaders, you’re tracking the wrong referral metrics and spinning your wheels. Craig had only one referral KPI, and it was the wrong one: the number of prospect meetings that his reps conducted.
No More Cold Calling
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. I don’t like to negotiate for my services. It’s uncomfortable, because I know the pricing and terms for my referral system are fair.
No More Cold Calling
OCTOBER 1, 2018
Stop cold calling on social media. You’re not one of those people who blast me with a sales pitch after I accept your LinkedIn invitation, are you? I don’t think so, because you’ve been reading my blog, so you know by now that social selling is all about being social.
No More Cold Calling
AUGUST 16, 2018
The best prospecting strategies require a human touch. Buyers know everything about our companies, products, and solutions before they ever speak to a salesperson. Believe that? Far too many sales reps do. They think that digital rules.
No More Cold Calling
AUGUST 23, 2018
A Complete Guide to Putting the “Social” Back in Social Selling. Social selling has finally (and dangerously) reached buzzword status. Dangerously, because there are misperceptions about what it means, how to do it, and just as importantly, how not to do it.
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No More Cold Calling
MAY 3, 2018
Top sellers don’t wait. At least 57 percent of the buying process is complete before buyers ever contact your company. If you believe this widely quoted but ill-advised statistic, your lead generation techniques are doomed from the start.
No More Cold Calling
JULY 20, 2018
Don’t assume your team knows how to ask for referrals. Tim told me his team was “doing referrals.” He figured they knew how to get referrals because he told them to do it. I asked how that approach was working for him. Dead silence. And therein lies the problem. A big problem.
No More Cold Calling
APRIL 20, 2018
It’s time to get serious about business referrals. In spite of numerous misconceptions and poor implementation, referrals in business are where the power is. But the first step to harnessing this power is understanding just what referral selling is and how it feeds your sales machine.
No More Cold Calling
JANUARY 4, 2018
What’s your gratitude meter? As we begin the New Year, now is the perfect time to pay attention to what’s most important—the people in our lives. That means our clients and prospects, our families and friends, our colleagues. It’s time we remember the value of getting personal.
No More Cold Calling
JUNE 7, 2018
Because what you’re already doing isn’t working. Your lead generation tactics aren’t driving bottom line revenue. That’s a fact. I’ve just returned from three conferences, and the #1 challenge I heard sales pros repeat again and again was how to get leads in the pipe.
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No More Cold Calling
JUNE 14, 2018
Salespeople are only as good as the people they know. When is it time to toss the technology and start talking to people? When internet leads and a call script no longer reap new business. When it interferes with the most powerful tool in your toolbox—you. Don’t get me wrong.
No More Cold Calling
APRIL 5, 2018
Referral sales is personal … but it’s still business. I recently received the following email: “I finished your book on referral sales last night, and now I’m building my 100 names so that I can ask for introductions to a couple of decent sales reps with some experience selling to my market.
No More Cold Calling
DECEMBER 28, 2017
You don’t have to be the life of the party to succeed in sales. She lights up a room when she walks in. She doesn’t have to say a word, but you know she’s there. She looks for every opportunity to show up—at parties, networking events, conferences, you name it. She thrives on the interaction.
No More Cold Calling
MARCH 1, 2018
You can do what the data tells you, or you can do what works. Which do you trust more—the lead generation data manufactured by sales technology tools and artificial intelligence, or your intuition, which is generated by years of experience and your emotional intelligence?
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No More Cold Calling
MARCH 15, 2018
Remember, prospecting is all about people. You’ve heard it: Television will kill radio. Video killed the radio star. And technology will eliminate the time-consuming, face-to-face aspect of communication. Um, no. Not in your personal life, and certainly not in your lead generation system.
No More Cold Calling
AUGUST 2, 2018
The odds might not be in your sales team’s favor … yet. I’ve interviewed many sales reps over the past two months, trying to better understand the challenges they face in today’s fast-paced, digital-first sales environment. They tell me they’re overwhelmed.
No More Cold Calling
APRIL 26, 2018
Price isn’t an issue with referral business. More than 10 years ago, a marketing agency told me most sellers cave on price before prospects even ask for a discount. Sadly, that behavior continues in sales negotiations today.
No More Cold Calling
JANUARY 25, 2018
Sales leaders must take the rap. We used to hire account based sales reps, indoctrinate them with product knowledge and a smattering of business culture, and give them a few lead generation tools. Then we gave them a phone, a list, and, a desk, and expected them to figure out how to book meetings.
Advertisement
This best practices guide focuses on helping you organize, harness and capitalize on the information, buying signals and qualified prospects identifying themselves to you online every single day.
No More Cold Calling
MAY 10, 2018
Don’t believe everything you hear about women. Women don’t speak up, don’t apply for jobs unless they meet 100 percent of the requirements, go unnoticed, and lack confidence. That’s why more of us haven’t broken through the glass ceiling yet. At least that’s what we’ve read in article after article.
No More Cold Calling
OCTOBER 19, 2017
Pointing fingers doesn’t change anything. Why don’t account based selling teams ask for referrals? Why is asking for referrals ad hoc and not a discipline? It makes no sense at all, because every sales leader and account based sales rep knows that referrals are their hottest leads and best business.
No More Cold Calling
JULY 29, 2018
Here’s what you might have missed from No More Cold Calling this month. Are you asking for referrals from every one of your clients? Not just your buyers, but from all the people you meet at client companies during the buying process? I’m not a mind-reader, but I already know your answer.
No More Cold Calling
JUNE 22, 2017
Do sales organizations really need a B2B sales strategy? After all, pundits tell us it’s the buyer’s journey that matters. They’re in control, so shouldn’t account-based selling pros just be prepared to wing it?
Speaker: Steve Benson, Founder and CEO, Badger Maps
A great sales team starts with a manager who’s a great coach. To stay competitive in today’s market, you need to implement a formal coaching approach that is aligned with your buyer’s journey and internal processes to drive results. Fortunately, Steve Benson is here to help you become that great coach.
No More Cold Calling
JULY 1, 2018
Here’s what you might have missed last month from No More Cold Calling. Wondering how to get leads? Not just smoke-and-mirror leads, but only qualified leads? Every sales rep asks that question, and surveys of sales leaders confirm that getting leads in the pipeline is their top challenge.
No More Cold Calling
FEBRUARY 8, 2018
Street smarts or book smarts—which is better for sales? We only hired college graduates, or so I thought. So, when the president of my company hired a Sales VP without a degree, I challenged him.
No More Cold Calling
AUGUST 9, 2018
Find out how to unclog your sales pipeline. Let me guess. Your lead generation process plays out like this: You don’t have enough leads in your pipe, and your reps aren’t calling high enough.
No More Cold Calling
SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
Do your lead generation strategies encourage persistence and curiosity? A 10-year-old girl was afraid that if she once again asked her brother to teach her to play the guitar, he would think she was being pushy. Hearing her express this fear was enough to set me off.
Speaker: Jeff Davis, Founder, jd2 Consulting Group
Jeff Davis is here to help you think differently about how Sales and Marketing should interact. With increased scrutiny for marketing to prove ROI on their activities and it becoming increasingly hard for B2B salespeople to even get in front of customers, the old way of doing business is no longer an option. This webinar will use evidence-based research and empirical knowledge to propose real-world strategies that work.
No More Cold Calling
JUNE 28, 2018
What’s trust got to do with it? When we showed my 85-year-old aunt how to use a computer, she told us she still hadn’t figured out how the telephone worked, so don’t bother. She walked out of the room. End of conversation.
No More Cold Calling
JULY 12, 2018
Even in the age of artificial intelligence, common sense still matters. Technology addiction is running rampant. We spend more time looking at screens than talking to the people who matter.
No More Cold Calling
OCTOBER 5, 2017
Does your sales team struggle to get referrals? Here’s why. When I read a checklist of account based sales development strategies that omitted referral selling, I asked the creator why. After a long pause, her response was, “I don’t know.” That sent me over the top.
No More Cold Calling
DECEMBER 14, 2017
Has digital communication killed traditional sales techniques? A sales VP was frustrated with her account based sales team, as they relied almost exclusively on technology for generating sales leads. Their outreach took too long.
Speaker: John Barrows, CEO, JBarrows Sales Training
As technology and AI advance, and as companies and reps continue to look for technical solutions to increase efficiency throughout the sales process, the human element of sales is being lost.The question we need to ask ourselves is – what can we do that a computer can’t? The answer lies in context; if we as sales professionals are not adding any context to our content, then we bring no additional value to what marketing and technology are already doing. Learn about the importance of context, and where and how to add it throughout the sales process!
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