Sales Force One

Tweet, Tweet

Anybody out there using Twitter?  For those of you may be living in a cave somewhere, Twitter is another networking/communication tool available on the web.  Like Facebook, it allows a user to communicate their thoughts to a wide audience by "tweeting."

I am still in the process of figuring out how to maximize my use of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter but while I figure that out I am amazed at a few things:

1. That so many people think that the comings and goings of their daily lives will be interesting to anyone but themself.
2. That so many people have the time to post the comings and goings of their daily lives.
3. That so many people (apparently) have the interest and time to read about the comings and goings of other people.

I wonder what would happen if sales people started "tweeting" about their prospecting week?  I suspect for some it would look like this:

1. Intended to prospect today but ran out of time.
2. Decided prospecting could wait until next week.
3. Made 10 prospecting dials today but they were all to people who I knew would take my call.
4. Actually made some serious prospecting dials today but wimped out asking tough questions and instead asked if I could drop by and tell them a little about our firm.

As a sales person, you are the sum of the choices you make.  In all areas, but particularly with prospecting, choose wisely.  If you are going to "tweet", make sure you have something to "tweet" about.

Executive Briefing

If you are in Cincinnati on Thursday, April 30th please consider attending my Executive Briefing:

Topic:         5 Things Your Sales Force Must Do to Survive the Recession

Time:          8AM to 9:30AM

Place:         Indiana Wesleyan Conference Center

                9286 Schulze Drive, West Chester, OH   45069

To register, call (513) 791-3458 and ask for Pam Courts.

CEO's & Sales Managers Only

Is your business going to survive in these tough markets? Answer these questions below. 

 

Yes   No 
 __    __   Are your salespeople proactive Hunters and Closers?
 __    __   Does your pipeline accurately predict future revenue?
 __    __   Do you have a formal sales process that everyone follows?
 __    __   Are your salespeople effectively selling value rather than
               selling based on price?
 __    __   Have you identified the crucial metrics that drive sales?
 __    __   Have your salespeople been as effective selling in the recession 
               as they were PRIOR to the recession?
 __    __   Does your sales management spend at least 85% of their time 
               coaching and motivating your salespeople and holding them 
               accountable?
 

If you answered "No" to any of the statements above, you should attend this free one hour webinar on Coaching Your Sales Team in Tough Markets from 9 to 10 am EDT on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, hosted by Mark Trinkle, Sales Consultant and Trainer with Anthony Cole Training Group.
 
To upgrade sales results, the number one solution for most organizations is to improve their sales coaching. This webinar will provide hands-on tools for your sales managers to coach with greater competency and consistency.
 
Visit here to register now or call us at (877) 635-5371.

 

Tony Cole

 

President & CEO
Anthony Cole Training Group

www.anthonycoletraining.com

1-877-635-5371  

Say Batter, Batter, Batter...

I am reading an excellent new book titled How to Win a Pitch written by Joey Asher and in honor of the baseball season opening on Monday I thought it would make sense to pass along some of the wisdom I am finding in Asher's book.

One of the first things that struck me as I started to read the book is the notion that firms pitiching solutions rarely get selected because they were the "best" firm.  For the most part, any firm who makes it to the short list that is invited to present is a good firm known for doing good work.  And if you are being honest, most of you will admit that the competitors you were up against the last time you pitched are just as capable as you are of doing a great job for the customer.

So if doing great work does not win you the pitch, what does?  The answer is delivering a great pitch.  According to Joey Asher, the firms consistenly winning competitive new pitches are the ones who simpy deliver the best pitch, meaning they consistently execute five simple fundamentals better than their competition:

1. Focused on a business solution
2. Simply organized
3. Delivered with passion
4. Interactive
5. Well-rehearsed

Remember, being good has little to do with winning.  So how well do you pitch?