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1606 Entries

Brew City Blues

Change in contacts for Key customer Posted 11:12 AM on 01/31/12 -  Reply to this post

Hello out there, I have been assigned one of our companies oldest-key clients. This is great, but here is the issue. During my first year with them, assignments were changed and new stakeholders have come into play. While I have a great rapport with the old stakeholders, they don’t have time, or want, to deal with vendors they have no responsibility for. I have spent the last 6 months trying to get in front of the new stakeholders. I can’t even get time on the phone with them ,let alone a face to face meeting. Due to mergers/acquisitions this customer has completed within the past few years, they have gone from a regional client to a national powerhouse in their industry. The local office decision makers have been nullified and the deciders reign in another part of the country. Any thoughts on how I can get in front of the new team? Ace of sales methods are not working… I have had success with them in the past but not this time. I need some fresh feedback. Cheers.

Cath

Cold to Cold Calling Posted 1:15 AM on 01/31/12 -  Reply to this post

I'm an experienced (12 years) sales person, comfortable and successful at dealing with C-level within a varied customer base. I find myself now in a position where I must make cold calls to increase my opportunity pipeline. My current employer doesn't have a track record or experience in hunting for new business, so there's noone to bounce ideas off. I'm in desperate need of some encouragement, because for some reason cold calling (which I did for 4 hours each and every day without interruption early in my career) is now intimidating me into non-action. I'd also appreciate help with cold call scripts that have worked in the IT Software space, targeted at management and senior management.

Rick

Sales Pickle Posted 12:56 PM on 01/25/12 -  Reply to this post

Good day, I have a situation that I am in and I do not know of the best way to approach this. I currently own and have read almost all of Jeffrey Gitomer's Books and still cannot get this resolved. Here is my situation. We are an IT consulting company who offers a variety of services to surrounding customers. We have lost all of our employees due to a medical condition, shipped overseas to serve, or needing to find a full time position to care for families. My business partner and I also had to go our separate routes with this to support our families due to these complications. We have been in business for over 7 years now, and have been battling a time and money consuming law suit with a previous customer that has been setting us back greatly. Bearer in mind we receive onesie twosie services here and there to just get us by. We would like to rebuild the foundation of the business to regain control and steer us in the right direction for success. We have looked at unpaid internships to help to drive sales and services and eventually turn into paid by obtaining new Leeds, but cannot get any help. Our customer base is to low and do not have any current standing contracts to help. We have also tried friends that have engineering backgrounds that are wonderful in customer service and sales that could be a benefit to us, but will not take the offer unless it is a paid position. We have thought of Cold Calling and setting up appointments and possibly sending someone in to discuss how we can help them, and why they want to buy from us as oppose to the competitor. But just how should we approach this? What steps should we take to regain the reigns of this business, and leave our current full time jobs to make this our dream come true? We have come to far to loose this battle, and I would love to add this to one of many success stories on here. Please let me know how we can open the door to success! Thank you kindly for your time and consideration.

Linda

Closing Hurdles Posted 3:19 AM on 01/25/12 -  Reply to this post

I set appointments for people to watch an online overview of a home biz opp. My problem is not in closing, as the majority all want to join but instead of doing it right after the overview they give an excuse of call me back/or I'll call you back in X days when I get paid or my husband gets paid. Then it turns into wasted time on my part following up as they try to avoid my calls or messages on Facebook. After I've written them off and moved them into the "not currently interested" autoresponder drip mails I then hear back from most of them "still interested but just can't do it right now." How to deal with these types? I don't push them into agreeing to join, just answer their questions and then sit quietly while they think about it and then say "Yes I want to join." Once they say I want to join but call me back in X days is there another way I can handle them at that point in time to get them to join then rather than letting them slip away?

Doug Kemp

People that can't say no Posted 10:34 PM on 01/30/12 - Reply to this post

I hear you! My suggestion once you know they have all your contacts and you have given them the info! I give them 7 to 10 days and after that move on! 90 percent buy pretty quick if they take longer then 10 days they have your number. I always try to not give them all the info at once! So they have a reason to call you back...But go with 10 day rule! Its like dating she doesn't need 10 days to get back with you...

Linda

People That Can't Say No Posted 6:00 PM on 01/31/12 - Reply to this post

Thanks Doug and I appreciate your time to respond. When I'm on the phone with them, and they're watching the live online sales presentation, they are getting all the info as that's the purpose of the online overview and then to get them signed up immediately. I do several followup attempts via phone or Facebook message, if they put me off, and as you said I do move on. But I'm also using my auto responder system to build them into a list of drip email followups, sometimes people need to see or hear the offer several times before they feel ready to move forward.

Darren

How to stop a Derailer? Posted 11:44 PM on 01/17/12 -  Reply to this post

I did a great group presentation today, only to have two attendees stand up at the "perfect" time and say "I tried this before and it was too complicated". Promptly, the three people that were completing the order form put them away. This kind of thing happens once in a while and I never know how to respond after I pick my jaw up off the ground....advice?

lagunawohl@gmail.com

Monetizing Calls Posted 11:57 AM on 01/10/12 -  Reply to this post

work for a web based lighting retailer. We have an excellent search rank, so much so that we often get calls mistaking us for the manufacturers of the lines we sell. Today these calls are mostly "throw aways". On the surface we are getting calls from people who would otherwise never call us. I am trying to see if anyone has advice on how we might monetize this opportunity. Any ideas would be helpful.

Everyday Joe

One Salesman's Idea Posted 3:43 PM on 01/11/12 - Reply to this post

I am not sure why you would not be able to help these "throw aways". None the less if for some reason you cant; There are some companies, not a lot, but some that pay for referrals. Its usually a small amount of the net profit off the order. If you cant meet the customer's need and the manufacturer can and you can refer them to the manufacturer for small profit that is something to look in to.

ERP Software Leads Alex

Marketing Strategy For Your Business Posted 1:10 AM on 01/09/12 -  Reply to this post

What are your best marketing strategies, that would really help increase sales.

Everyday Joe

One Salesman's Idea Posted 11:43 AM on 01/10/12 - Reply to this post

It really all depends on what your budget is. Of course the most common things are Facebook,linkedin,twitter, ect. But than you can move on to something more. I use to work for a promotional products company and we contacted all of our customers to let them know we were doing a presentation. Barelly anyone showed up. So a few months down the line we tried again. But this time we sent something in the mail instead of calling. It was a package with a personalized card to just them and of all our main promotional products we give away at trade shows, pens, stationary, bouncing balls ( big hit if anyone is looking for a good promo item ) and fun other little do-dads. In one month we had a full house in our meeting room. It doesn't take a lot to get someone's attention, you just need to give it first to receive it. Hope this helps. Everyday Joe

heavyd

blow up my company? Posted 10:41 PM on 01/07/12 -  Reply to this post

Hi All , as usual this time of year with all of the resolution discussion I was thinking about making changes with my co. I have been open since 2008 with my current name , logo , website which I am not crazy about. What i would like to do is change the direction of the company. The company is just me , so I am just talking about changing the name and marketing direction . Is it stupid to blow up a company that has nothing wrong with it except that I dont like it? I feel that due to changes in the technology of the business that I am in , it is better for the long haul. Any thoughts here will be appreciated.

Pat

Cold Call Help!! Posted 11:29 AM on 01/05/12 -  Reply to this post

My previous sales experience was pretty much destination; the customers found me. Even when I went out into the field, the prospects heard of my company and knew of us and who we were. After changing careers for a couple years, I'm back in the sales game in a straight up commission gig. And I'm in a new market where no one knows of us or what we do. Sure it's wide open, but I've gotta do cold calling. Corporate recommends face-to-face, and I know I'm better at it, but until I get some money in my wallet, I can't afford to get out there; I don't have the gas and I can't buy the materials. So I've gotta work the phone, and it's out of my comfort zone. Is it just a numbers thing? Do I just keep calling until I hit pay dirt? How can I tweek things to make it more effective? I've changed the phone script to focus on the client rather than my company, but I'm still having trouble setting meetings. How do I change the odds?? I need help!! And quick!!

Average Joe

One Salesman's Idea Posted 5:19 PM on 01/11/12 - Reply to this post

Pat, i was in the exact same situation you are now. Now we all know Jeffrey doesn’t believe in cold calling but sometimes we have to do it because of our situation. Now i don’t know how gitomer.com feels about promoting someone else's work on his site, but a book that really helped me was "Cold Calling Techniques" by Stephan Schiffman. In a nut shell he walks you through what not to say and different approaches that work for your situation. My current standing being making cold calls, would i rather be working with referrals? Of course, who wouldn’t, but like you said being a new company with a new market product makes its hard. And yes it’s a number game, but you control ratio, with your attitude, your persuasion, and your ability to turn a cold call into a warm call. Everyone hates getting a sales call, so try not to make it one. You have to get in the mindset that you are not yourself; i pretend i make 2 million a year, drive a Mercedes, etc., you get the idea. And i try to make it like i don’t need this potential customers business, I’m just trying to show them value with my product and that it’s really all about them and not yourself. Most people don’t realize that if you’re after an appointment, just ask for one. Ex. Good afternoon, my name is Average Joe, I’m with XYZ company and we provide services that no one else does on the market right now. I’d like to sit down and talk with you about our services. How does tomorrow at 3:00 sound? Now this can go a lot of different ways. If they say yes that’s fantastic, but most times they no, or not interested, and if they say no thanks where already working with someone, you can reply with "that’s fantastic, is it abc company?" 9 times out 10 they will correct you, customers love to correct you, trust me. Than whatever company they name off you reply with "that’s even better because we can accommodate with those services. Let’s sit down and talk about it, how does tomorrow at 3:00 sound?" Hope this helps,

 

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