http://www.salescoachinglive.com/blog/category/sales-training/ Blog categories... http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/six-times-more-initial-appointments-thru-cold-calling/ A case study of a 600% increase in appointments set in less than three months!

We just completed a Prospector’s Academy™ for one of our customers in ...]]> A case study of a 600% increase in appointments set in less than three months!

We just completed a Prospector’s Academy™ for one of our customers in which a team of 22 outside sales people increased their Initial Appointments set from 25 in the first two weeks of the Academy to 149 in weeks eleven and twelve.

I do submit to you that what they were doing before we ran the Academy was not very good, but it is not unusual. Many of our customers tell us that their sales team is spending all of their new business prospecting time responding to the few leads that come in door. The rest of their selling time is spent calling on existing customers trying to upsell and cross sell instead of finding new customers. It is not that they don’t want them to do that, but in all instances, these sales professionals also had responsibility for finding new customers as well as growing the installed base—and they weren’t doing a very good job of that at all.

If you’d like to read a case study on how they were able to accomplish that (and pay for the entire program within one buying cycle), send me an email at bcaponi@caponipg.com. Although a 600% increase may not be typical, 200% or more certainly is, and paying for our program within one buying cycle absolutely is.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/six-times-more-initial-appointments-thru-cold-calling/ Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:41:39 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/new-books-are-now-available/
Here's the detail. The books, Contrary to Popular Belief, Cold Calling DOES Work! come in two volumes.

Volume I - Effectiveness, the ART of Appoinemtn Making
Volume II - Efficiency, the SCIENCE of Appointment Making

Both are now available for order through the following link. This link will also give you a good view into what is in each and if either one, or both, might benefit you and your challenges.

http://caponipg.com/books.php]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/new-books-are-now-available/ Sun, 03 Jul 2011 17:03:57 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/what-can-we-learn-from-the-best-sales-people/ Do great B2B sales people, regardless of what they sell, have any practices in common? In other words, do the best sales people all sell the same way...
A number of years ago, a professional association attempted to answer that question. They studied superstar sales people from a wide variety of industries and concluded: Yes!

In fact, the best sales people excel at the same things. Here are the top five practices of the very best sales people:
1. They see the situation from the customer’s point of view.
2. They ask better questions.
3. They listen more constructively.
4. They are obsessed with time management.
5. They do bigger deals.

Let’s look at the relationship among these items to see if there are any lessons for us.

“They do bigger deals.” That is both the result of their work (that is, after all, why they are the best sales people) as well as their focus from the beginning. They start with an understanding that it is their job to bring revenue into the company, and that the more revenue they bring in, the more valuable they are to their companies and the more successful they become. And this realization leads them to what becomes an obsession.

“They are obsessed with time management.” That means that they intentionally and methodically strive to make the best use of their sales time by focusing the bulk of their efforts on the highest-potential opportunities and customers. You won’t find them running an errand for a “C” customer just to be a nice guy.

In my book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, I make the point that this practice – investing in the highest potential prospects and customers – trumps all other sales practices. If you are a great presenter, for example, and wonderful at closing the sale, your skills will be squandered if they are not exercised with the right people.

And what do the best sales people do with the time they invest in the highest-potential customers? “Ask better questions,” and “listen more constructively.” Amazing. These two fundamental communication skills are, perhaps, the earliest communication skills we learn. Yet, the best take these foundational skills and execute them better. And since they excel at these two fundamentals, they naturally gain a better understanding of the “customer’s point of view.” Equipped with that competitive advantage, they formulate creative proposals that lead them back to where they started: bigger deals.

This should be immensely encouraging to sales people. Unlike the promotional messages from legions of sales trainers and authors, the reality is that there are no “secrets” in sales. Success comes not from hidden strategies and mysterious tactics, but rather from the excellent execution of the essentials.

The best sales people execute the most fundamental skills with excellence. And, since we can all do the things the best do, we can, if we choose, strive to do them better. And, if we strive to do them better, at some point we will arrive at the same place they are: a master sales person.

In other words, there is a path to sales mastery, and we can all follow it, if we choose.

It begins with our mind-set. We need to see ourselves as professional sales people, whose job it is to bring revenue into the company. That sounds so simple and so basic, yet legions of sales people are loath to consider themselves sales people. They are account executives, sales facilitators, mobile customer service representatives, etc. Some consider themselves to be exclusively the advocates for the customer and hand out discounts and concessions to anyone and everyone.

Since they don’t see themselves as professional sales people, they don’t invest in improving their sales skills. They don’t understand that their behavior creates a reciprocal reaction on the part of the customer. The sales person’s actions create reactions on the part of the customer. If they want more profitable actions from the customer, they need to improve their actions.

Once we have the mind-set of the professional sales person, we slowly begin to gravitate toward the opportunities and customers that hold the greatest potential. We understand that we only have a small and limited quantity of sales time, and that we must invest it, with a cold-blooded business attitude, in those situations that will bring the greatest reward. In short, effective time management becomes a daily obsession.

Now, since we are interacting more frequently with the highest potential customers and prospects, we focus on excelling at the most fundamental communication skill: asking better questions and listening more constructively. Armed with these two fundamental and powerful communication devices, we strive for continued improvement and constant development.

With this as a path, sales mastery is an achievable goal for every committed sales person.

As the best have taught us, there is a path to sales mastery, and it comes travels through excellent execution of the essentials.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/what-can-we-learn-from-the-best-sales-people/ Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:45:03 +0000 Dave Kahle http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/the-right-time-for-sales-training/ By Dave Kahle


Q. I wanted to do some sales training last year, but it just wasn’t the right time for it. We had...]]> By Dave Kahle


Q. I wanted to do some sales training last year, but it just wasn’t the right time for it. We had too many things on our plate. Looking at our calendar this year, I am coming to the same conclusion. Am I ever going to have time to do sales training? Will it ever be the right time?

A. Great question. Probably the number one reason sales managers don’t provide sales training for their teams is “the timing just isn’t right.”
Why is it that some companies, regardless of the press of the urgent and the demands of the customers, find time to provide regular training and development opportunities for their sales force, and others, in the same industry, just can’t make the time?

The answer really does not lie in the ebb and flow of “things to do.” Nor does it lie in the open spaces of the calendar – if only you could find some empty days, you could slot in a sales training event. The answer does not lie in the world of stuff outside of ourselves that so occupies our time and attention. Rather, the answer lies inside ourselves and our organizations – in our attitudes, our values and our corporate culture.
Let me lay some ground work with a bit of thinking about effective sales, in general and then circle around to address the question head on.

1. I think everyone would agree with this statement: Better sales people sell more than average sales people.

Better sales performance is not a matter of inheriting the best customer, or falling into a lucky deal. Those things happen occasionally, but year in and year out, the best performing sales people are those who ‘sell better’ than the rest. They do something, and usually a lot of things, better than their colleagues. As a result, their customers respond more positively to them, and the sales people post better numbers. They sell more because they act differently. Not just differently – but better.

There is a direct relationship between what the sales person does and how much he sells. Here’s a simple example. One study found that 74 percent of purchasing agents said they would be “much more likely to buy from a sales person, if that person would just listen.” Doesn’t it follow, then, that those sales people who listen better sell more than those who don’t? So, if you could help all of your sales people listen better, wouldn’t that result in more sales? Of course it would. And listening is just one of a number of sales practices that are essential to better sales performance.

That’s my point. What a sales person does directly and measurably impacts how much a sales person sells. And better sales people, because they do things better, sell more than average sales people.

2. Most of my readers would also agree with this statement: Almost every sales person can become better.

One of the things that I have most enjoyed about my career as a sales person has been the fact that I have never yet reached my potential. I can always do better. And, frankly, I’m a pretty good sales person.

I’m not perfect yet, even though I have tried to get there my whole life. Rarely does a day go by that I don’t find myself saying, “I should have done this or that better.” Unfortunately, it is in the nature of sales that one is never as good as he can be. Vince Lombardi aptly summed up the challenge of continuous improvement in a different area:

We will relentlessly pursue perfection, knowing full well that we will never attain it, because no one is perfect. But, we will chase perfection, because in the process we will catch excellence.

Put these two paradigms together (#1 & #2 above) and you have a pretty good rationalization for continuous and immediate sales training. If better sales practices bring in more money, and every sales person can become better, then investing in making them better will bring in more money.

How can you afford the luxury of not improving the practices of your sales team?

3. But wait, some of you are saying, sales training doesn’t automatically mean better sales practices.

You’re right. It doesn’t. But it sure outperforms the alternative of not doing anything and expecting everyone will just automatically improve by trial and error. I’m going to make a radical statement here: I believe that there is not an exceptional performer in any endeavor who is entirely self-taught (with the once in a generation exception for the occasional savant). Tiger Woods, for example, has a swing coach.

The more sophisticated and challenging is the endeavor, the more likely that the exceptional performer has had multitude of coaches, mentors and trainers along the way. Sales is an incredibly sophisticated endeavor, where learning on your own can only take you so far.

Everyone who wants to improve, in every endeavor known to mankind, sooner or later puts himself in a situation where he/she learns from a coach, trainer or mentor – someone who has gone before and has a gift of being able to discern and communicate the intricacies and insights of the field. It takes someone outside of ourselves to help us see and realize our real potential.

The dedicated sales person, for example, buys all the books, gets the Ezines, listens to the podcasts, etc. The sales manager who wants his team to perform well, constantly injects them into learning experiences. He brings in the videos, distributes good articles, sends them to the seminars, etc.

And, like everything else, there are qualities of sales training. You can bring in old Tom, for example, who is getting ready to retire and is looking for something less demanding than sales to do. Or, you can employ the local unemployed sales person who always wanted to be a trainer. The world is full of both types.

But, if you are going to invest your sales force’s valuable time and your hard-earned money, I’d recommend you invest it into a safe choice – professionals who have an understanding of how people learn and change, real life successful experience in sales, and years of proven experience in the profession of training.

4. One more point. Have you ever stopped to calculate the cost of maintaining the status quo?

Today -- just this one day -- how many opportunities did your sales people not uncover because they haven’t been trained in how to better uncover opportunities? How many opportunities did they miss because they have not been trained to listen well? How many new customers should have been developed this month, but weren’t because your sales people have never been instructed in how to develop a new customer? How many high-potential customers languish in business-as-usual because your sales people have never been taught how to penetrate large accounts?

Just play around with those numbers and the conclusion will stagger you. The greatest cost in most companies is one which never makes it on the P&L statement – the cost of opportunities lost, customers not created, and sales not made due to a sales force performing at far less than its potential.
Now that I’ve laid some ground work, let me go back and answer the question.

Is there ever a good time to do sales training? It depends on your values, your attitude and your culture.

If you believe that your sales people can not become any better, then NO, do not make the time for sales training.

If you are perfectly content with the numbers your sales force is producing, then, NO, do not make the time for sales training.

If you think everyone will improve forever on their own, then NO, there will never be a good time for sales training.
If, on the other hand, you believe that just a small change in the behavior of a sales person can leverage into huge increases in sales and profits, then by all means make the time, as soon as possible.

Is there a good time to do sales training? That really is the wrong question. The question you should be asking instead is: How can you justify continuing to bear the costs of a sales team performing at less than optimum? How can you justify the maintenance of the status quo?

Parenthetically, our Sales Resource Center provides a virtually unlimited number of sales development lessons, delivered to every sales person’s computer, 24/7, for one low monthly fee.

Dave Kahle is one of the world’s leading sales educators. He’s written nine books, presented in 47 states and seven countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine, and visit his blog. For a limited time, receive $547 of free bonuses with the purchase of his latest book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/the-right-time-for-sales-training/ Mon, 16 May 2011 17:21:25 +0000 Dave Kahle http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/when-do-we-cross-the-line-when-asking-for-an-appointment/ Where do we draw the line between persistency and pest?

This past week, I answered a question on the LinkedIn Group, Best Practices for Telephone Pro...]]> Where do we draw the line between persistency and pest?

This past week, I answered a question on the LinkedIn Group, Best Practices for Telephone Prospecting/Cold Calling. (By the way, this is a very good group. Lots of good discussions.) The question I answered was, “When do you give up on a call?” What the questioner meant was, when is asking for the appointment one more time, too many? Here’s how I answered that.

I make up my mind of how aggressive to be with an individual target based on a few criteria:

1. How aggressive am I as a sales professional? How comfortable am I asking three, four or more times? (Two is the minimum because the first one is almost always a conditioned knee jerk reaction designed to get us off the phone with little thought given to whether the value proposition is of potential interest or not.)

2. How many targets do I have in my universe? The more I have, the less aggressive I have to be. Consequently, the fewer potential targets I have, the more aggressive I must be. As a matter of fact, if I have a relatively few targets to choose from, I will also research them more before calling to make sure I understand how to approach a particular company, or even, person. I can’t afford to miss these opportunities, so I’ll be more aggressive in my belief that I can be of service.

3. I also have a long term view of my prospecting, so I will always end (if I don’t get the appointment) by asking for permission to call back in the future. This will impact when I quit asking for the appointment this time, because I don’t want to burn the bridge to future attempts on this call.

4. As I’ve discussed in other blogs, we use a technique we call Bridge Questions™, to help us get into an open minded conversation after hearing a no. By doing so, we come across as very professional, non-confrontational, and knowledgeable. This actually allows us to ask for the appointment, at least, another couple of times without sounding pushy or too aggressive. It comes across as conversational.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/when-do-we-cross-the-line-when-asking-for-an-appointment/ Sat, 14 May 2011 17:30:48 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-to-cure-the-fear-of-cold-calling/ Why are we afraid to pick up the phone and cold call someone—and what can we do about it?

Remember the old TV show, Family Feud? And the audience sai...]]> Why are we afraid to pick up the phone and cold call someone—and what can we do about it?

Remember the old TV show, Family Feud? And the audience said, fear of public speaking! It’s probably one of the most commonly known facts in America: the number one fear of Americans is the fear of public speaking. The number two fear is death. But, here’s one that you might not know. The number three fear is death from public speaking. Just kidding, but thanks to my good friend, Sean Sturrock, for that bit of humor!

As a member of the National Speakers Association, I’ve heard many people talk about how one gets over the fear of public speaking. It all boils down to three simple things: preparation, process and practice.

Let’s take those one at a time and dissect them as they apply to cold calling. These same factors are at play here when we consider picking up the phone and ‘public speaking’ to just one stranger at a time.

1. Preparation. Toastmasters has an exercise that requires its members to get up in front of the group and speak extemporaneously for just one minute. That’s harder than one might imagine, as anyone who has been a member can attest. However, we all do it many times each day. Someone asks us a question, or we talk about the news of the day with our friends, family, and colleagues.

So, what’s the difference? In my opinion, it’s the stakes and the setting: the audience, the goal and topic. When we pick up the phone to call someone for an appointment, there is a very specific objective on the table—an appointment is at stake—not to mention our livelihood. We also know that this will most likely not be a friendly setting—at least at the beginning. So not only do we need to know what we’re going to say to start the conversation, but we’ll also need to be prepared to handle the common types of responses we receive. If we don’t, most of us feel foolish and embarrassed, even though the person can’t see us.


2. Process. When we deliver a speech, we know we have to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You might be familiar with the old adage of tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. An appointment making call also has a process.

There are actually twelve steps in the process of making an appointment setting call, and only one of them is actually placing the call. Many of us get lost in the process because we don’t even understand the entire process, let alone have the right tools to keep us efficiently organized and on pace. For instance, as we get ready to call a target that we’ve called before, and we can’t remember what we said to them last time, how many times we’ve called before, or just as importantly, what they said back to us, we will get a bit apprehensive. Why? Because we don’t want to sound foolish and unprofessional if the person we’re calling happens to remember those things.

Therefore, having a process to follow, and tools to keep track of the process will make us fear making calls.

3. Practice. How we deliver our message is far more important than what we actually say according to a UCLA study on effective communications. See blog called What are the key elements in effective communication - link is below. That’s not to say that what we say is not important at all. The key here, though, is for what we say to become so second nature that we can concentrate on how we deliver it, and on what our target says back to us.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but there is only one way to accomplish this: practice, practice, and then practice some more. Practice until it sounds more natural and conversational than the ‘wing it’ manner you’re using now. And here’s one more hint for you. Even the best public speakers will rehearse their opening lines to their speech right before walking on stage, so practice your opening out loud (or with a calling buddy—see blog called Five tips to help make that first call of the day) - see link below.

To be successful cold calling, one must be prepared, have a process and practice, practice, practice.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.

Link to first blog: http://coldcalling101.com/what-are-the-key-elements-in-effective-communication-as-they-apply-to-cold-calling/

Link to second blog: http://coldcalling101.com/five-tips-to-help-make-that-first-cold-call-of-the-day/]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-to-cure-the-fear-of-cold-calling/ Wed, 11 May 2011 14:03:06 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/why-don-t-ales-professionals-set-enough-initial-appointments/ Who should be making the appointment setting calls in your organization?

Is the sales force one that cannot, will not, or should not be setting appoi...]]> Who should be making the appointment setting calls in your organization?

Is the sales force one that cannot, will not, or should not be setting appointments their own appointments?

We are many times asked, “When should I outsource our appointment setting requirement for the outside sales team?” This question comes up when managers aren’t consistently seeing enough Initial Appointments being set by their sales team.

If we can answer the following question, we’ve got our answer. Is the reason enough appointments are not being set because the sales team cannot, will not, or should not be setting appointments? Now that I’ve settled that topic…just kidding. Let’s explore that a little more deeply.

Let’s look at the last qualifier first, because if the answer is no for that one, then the first two qualifiers are moot. “Should our outside sales team be setting their own appointments?” In a sales environment where the buying cycles are long and complex, the average sized sale is big, and the competitive landscape is tough, our sales professionals are usually very highly paid. In those situations, suggest we, at least, look at having someone else set appointments for them.

The reason for that is that setting our own appointments takes time, and a lower cost resource can set appointments. If I’ve got a team of highly qualified subject matter experts, for instance, who have heavy time commitments in the buying cycles to qualify, present, and close, it does beg the question. Perhaps we are better off letting those sales people concentrate on what only they can do, and hire someone else to set appointments for them.

The trade-offs here are how much subject matter training is required to make the appointment setters competent to set qualified appointments, can we deliver that training, and can we supply reasonably targeted lists. Those are questions you’ll have to answer yourself.

However, let’s assume for a moment that we’ve decided that our team should be setting their own appointments. The next question we need to ask ourselves is, “Are they failing because they cannot, or will not set their own appointments?” If they will not, perhaps it is because the task is arduous, too time consuming, and painful. If we have addressed those issues and they just won’t do it, we need to find those sales professionals something else to do.

If it is because they cannot (or we’re not sure if it still might be will not), we do have remedies for that. Four areas may be addressed to help them become more effective and efficient at this task. They are; better lists of targets to call, a better set of best practices (pre-set business rules for the process), a better set of tools to take the pain out of the process and make them more efficient, and better skills to handle the objections they encounter when attempting to set the appointment.

Do not fall into the trap of; if a sales professional knows how to close, they know how to set appointments. It is a totally different process, requiring a different set of skills, tools and processes. Too many, this is a surprise. So much so, that I dedicated an entire section to this topic in both of my books, Contrary to Popular Opinion, Cold Calling Does Work! Volume I: Effectiveness, the Art of Appointment Making, and Volume II: Efficiency, the Science of Appointment Making. You can also find some of that explanation in the blog entitled, The skills that are necessary in the pipeline phase of selling are not the same as those required in appointment setting Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

If you believe that your team needs to be setting some, if not all, of their own Initial Appointments, then make sure they’ve got the proper set of skills, tools and processes to make them both effective and efficient—or you’ll continue to struggle with an anemic pipeline.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called Coldcalling101™. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations—the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 817 224-9900 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/why-don-t-ales-professionals-set-enough-initial-appointments/ Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:19 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/pre-call-touch-a-creative-way-to-make-prospecting-appointments/
Here’s a situation. You have created a list of 20 highly qualified prospects. You’ve researched them, and you know that these 20 peo...]]>
Here’s a situation. You have created a list of 20 highly qualified prospects. You’ve researched them, and you know that these 20 people hold your prosperity in their hands. But they don’t know you, have never spoken to you, and aren’t inclined to drop everything and see you.

How do you get to see them?

You can do what everyone else does. Send them an email. Maybe leave a voice mail message. Then be really frustrated that no one calls back. Or, you can do something a bit different, and much more creative.

For those highly qualified prospects, think of using a “pre-call touch.” A pre-call touch is something you deliver to the prospect that says something about you, catches his attention, and makes it more likely that he/she will see you when you call.

Here are two examples of “pre-call touches” from my most recent book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime.

One of my clients was an advertising agency. They had identified 100 “right people” – the key people in their market and location who held the future of the advertising agency in their hands. They had accomplished the first step – identifying the right people – with excellence.

Now, the problem was to move those highly qualified prospects to interact with the agency. The experienced team knew that those key people with whom they needed to interact were busy and difficult people to see. They just wouldn’t respond to the normal channels. So, they came up with this very creative way of engaging with their prospects.

They sent each of the 100 prospects a box, about the size of a watch box. It was wrapped in brown paper and contained no return address. The name and address of the prospect was hand-written in a female hand. Inside the box was a sugar cube and a small piece of paper, like the size of a fortune cookie message, with the words, “Keep it sweet.”

That was it. Nothing else.

One week later, those same prospects were sent another box, wrapped and addressed in exactly the same fashion. This time, it contained a lemon with the message, “Don’t let it go sour.”

Again, nothing else in the box.

On the third week, yet another box, wrapped and packaged identically. This time, the box contained tinsel foil, like that which you use to decorate a Christmas tree. The message? “Make it sparkle.”

Once again, nothing else.

Week four and yet one more box arrived, identical to the others. This time there was only one thing inside - a business card from the advertising agency sales person, with a self-stick note stuck to it. On the note was the hand-written message, “I’ll call you tomorrow for an appointment.”

Of the 100 people who received that series of deliveries, every single one of them took the call and made the appointment. The advertising agency, when faced with the difficult task of engaging the prospect, had developed an effective and creative solution. They gained their prospect’s attention, they captured their interest, and they prompted them to take action – they took the phone call and made the appointment. In other words, they engaged the right people!

Here’s another example. This time, I was on the receiving end of a well done “pre-call touch.” I was busily typing away on my computer when the FedEx guy walked into my office, put a box down on my desk, and said, “sign here.” I did.

You know what you do when you get a personally addressed FedEx delivery -- stop everything and open the box. That’s what I did. Inside was a package of microwave popcorn. Underneath that was a plastic bottle of Diet Pepsi. Underneath that was a linen envelope with my name hand written in a female’s script. I opened the envelope. Inside was an invitation, personally written in the same script. It said, “Dave, We have researched your company, and concluded that yours is the kind of company who gains the most from our service. I’d like to invite you to take 30 minutes and watch a webinar as I introduce what we can do for you. Enjoy the popcorn and soda, and let me do all the work. I’ll call you this afternoon to confirm.”

I thought to myself, “Not bad. This probably cost them $30.00 to $40.00. They wouldn’t have invested that money and time in someone who was not a good prospect. I probably am right for them. I’ll take the call.”
This sales person could have sent me an email, and I would have deleted it unopened. She could have left me a voice mail message, and I would not have returned it. Instead, she chose to deliver something to me that got my attention and made it much more likely that I would accept her phone call.
Clearly, a “pre-call touch” isn’t for every situation, nor every prospect. For those high potential, qualified prospects, however, it can be the event that opens the door.

I don’t know what you can use as a “pre-call touch.” A little creative brainstorming on your part could develop just the right delivery. Don’t give in to the temptation to send a company brochure (yawn), or just a letter. Break out of the box and think about what you could deliver that would catch the prospect’s attention, say something about you, and make him more likely to take your call.

It can make all the difference.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/davekahle/blog/pre-call-touch-a-creative-way-to-make-prospecting-appointments/ Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:46:10 +0000 Dave Kahle http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions-2/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:10:28 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/want-another-chance-to-follow-your-new-year-s-resolutions/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:09:51 +0000 Barry D. Caponi http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ I have often heard that opinions are like anal orifices, everyone has one! The fact is that just like parts of our own body, we not only have opinions...
Our ownership of opinions is absolute regardless of the facts!! Two plus two always equals four. New York City is the largest city in the United States. San Francisco is on the west coast. These are objective facts.
Red is better than blue. Chicago is a more dynamic city than LA. The Packers should win over Minnesota (said before the season begins). These are ALL opinions and their truth lies solely in the eye of the beholder.

Before we enter in a discussion about what is “Better” for someone we care about, we need to take a minute and review what their opinions and beliefs are. That review can take many forms. Here is one possible way to begin the evaluation.

1. What is their underlining belief system?
2. What in their background could influence the critical viewpoint or decision?
3. Who else will influence this discussion / decision?
4. Why am I involved in this discussion / decision?
5. What impact will this have on their resources - mental, physical, financial
6. What do I KNOW about their opinions that will come into play?
7. What are the facts? Are these truly facts or MY opinions of the facts?

These are first steps. Remember that a person’s opinions are critically important to them and they will defend them to the death! If you think this is a bit of an exaggeration then look to the Middle East, the Middle Ages, witch hunts, the Hatfield verses McCoy feud, Democrats verses Republicans, USC verses UCLA and High School Football in Texas!!

Treat people’s opinions as if they are as precious as their children. They might have had them longer!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/opinions-everyone-has-one-at-least-one/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:13:59 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is p...]]>
Without passion, there is no fun!!

One of our best friends is passionate about abandoned St. Bernard dogs. This became a mission that has lead to the rescuing of hundreds of these beautiful animals.

Passion is the reason Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine and when asked why he did not patent it stated when asked by famed reporter Edward R. Murrow “Who owns this patent?", Salk replied, "No one. Could you patent the sun?"

Here are a couple of key ways to know what you are passionate about:

1. Does your voice get stronger when you are talking to others about building a house?
2. When someone asks your advice on a finding new customers do you find yourself giving them all sorts of advice?
3. Do you find yourself going on and on about Golden Retrievers?
4. Do bridal dresses give you goose bumps?
5. When you are tired and you get a call to go do something that involves a subject does your exhaustion disappear?

If this happens than more than likely you are passionate about these particular items.

When someone asks me about helping others be successful, I have to hold myself back. When someone mentions a golf game, I am there.

Now translate this to business. What about your business turns you on? Is it that your office is a great place to work? Do your clients send you thank you notes? Are you award winners in your industry? Do you make a difference in your clients lives? How do you fulfill their wants and needs? How do you make communication better in the office, with your sales force, with your clients? Are you passionate about adding value to you clients lives? If so, how?

Be passionate and make a DIFFERENCE!!]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/bfarmer/blog/passion/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:48:14 +0000 Ben Farmer http://www.salescoachinglive.com/scottconover/blog/fear-of-not-making-your-quota/ FDR’s famous inauguration quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This has never been more true than in sales.

Most people today are...]]> FDR’s famous inauguration quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This has never been more true than in sales.

Most people today are driven by fear and most sales leaders lead by fear. As a result, your decisions are driven out of fear. This behavior is holding you and your sales team from meeting your goals.

We are now 2 months into the year, sales professionals have received their quotas and have been pounding the pavement to drum up new leads and close deals. Many are already finding that they are not trending in the right direction to meet their quotas. They are beginning to feel that heavy weight of their quota and are fearful of not obtaining that number. If not caught early, this will paralyze you and your sales team. Being fearful of not attaining your quota will quickly become a self fulfilling prophecy. My suggestion and what I have found to help sales professionals meet their objectives is to not constantly focus on where you are against your established quota.

Nobel Prize Winner: “Business people who do not know how to fight worry, die young. How many of the things we worry about are worth that price?”

So, you may be asking yourself “How do I go about embracing my fears?” To answer that question, let’s take a step back and review what I hear most regularly while assessing the mindset of sales professionals and sales leaders. It is very apparent that they are fearful of two things that they can't control. Let’s see if you can pick out what those two things are.

Here are some of the statements that I hear most regularly in our assessments.

Sales Professional: That number is bigger than last year and I couldn’t hit that one. What if I don’t hit my numbers? How does that make me look? How quickly will I be able to find a new job?

Sales Leader: What if I fire underperformers? What will that do to the morale of the team? It took me a long time to hire these individuals, what if I can’t find someone to take their place? How much time will I lose in hiring and retraining someone else? How much market share will I lose? How will I meet my team goal or investor expectations?

If you are like most people you probably saw a lot of random questions but if you analyze each statement you will see the commonality across the board. The commonality that you see in all of these statements are that most people live in either the past or the future which are two things that can’t be controlled. Begin asking yourself as to what is holding you back and you will probably see that you share the same common traits as your peers.

As a ship has compartments that can be sealed to prevent water in one compartment from flooding another, so too do we need to seal off the past and the future. “We cannot live one moment in either of those eternities and to try to do so could ruin both our minds and bodies. We can be content to live the only time we possibly can – TODAY.” – Dale Carnegie

I like to use this question to some of the people that I coach. “If you were to go from Dallas to New York and there were no signs, compasses or GPS devices to get you there, what would you do?” Some get it right but most struggle. For those that don’t get it I will begin working with them through a series of questions to get to the answer but to summarize, the smart thing to do is to find someone who has already taken that journey and question them about what to take with you on your journey, where you should turn and what you should look out for to ensure a speedy and safe journey.

My suggestion is that you do the exact same thing with your sales career. Begin to look at the individuals that are successful in your organization. Focus on the processes that has helped them be successful and you will become successful. Ask for help in creating your process. You will find that people are willing to help those that ask for help and take action.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/scottconover/blog/fear-of-not-making-your-quota/ Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:32:53 +0000 Scott Conover http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/joseph-t-charles-mentor-program/ While I was an alumnus with Lambda Chi Alpha, I had the opportunity to chair what I felt was the single most important aspect of post-college life tha...
A generous alumnus member named Joseph T. Charles, who owns Charles Industry, funded this program. His vision was for alumni brothers to be paired up with undergraduate members for the purpose of job shadowing, internships, help with resumes and help prepare members for job interviews. He also felt other alumni members could connect with each other to network through this program. He felt since the organization has over 300,000 living members that we should take advantage of it. I felt the same way, but I didn’t have the over $300,000 that he had which he donated to start the program. It was Joseph T. Charles vision and money that kick started this great program that still exists today.

I was the person who put Joseph T. Charles vision into reality with the help of a great committee. Before I joined the committee, the program did not know what they wanted to do. What we did was give it an identity and start a marketing program to try to enlist members to participate. One way was to distribute awards to chapters who had the most alumni members involved and undergraduate members involved. Awards are an important part to undergraduate chapter life...so this helped us put some focus on the program at that level. We had plenty of alumni involved, we just need more undergraduates.

We also changed it from a matching system to a database search system. What I mean by this is we would let the members select a search criteria and then alumni who fit that criteria would pop up and the undergraduate would be able to contact them directly. This way the undergraduate initiated the contact and started the relationship. We had a lot more success with this approach than the last one. Plus it did not frustrate the alumni as they were contacted instead of waiting to hear from an undergraduate who was paired with them. The program grew tremendously and gained a lot of respect within its members.

I am sure some of the organizations you have been involved with have a program like this. If they do, I encourage you to get involved. A mentor program is a great way to give back and create new connections that help build your personal sphere of influence. The more contacts you can add to your personal sphere the better it will be for you. In my next entry I am going to discuss other types of organizations that you can be involved with that will help you find new contacts and new revenue for your career.

Copyright © 2011 Kevin T. Piket]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/KevinPiket/blog/joseph-t-charles-mentor-program/ Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:52:41 +0000 Kevin Piket http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/what-s-your-favorite-radio-station-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-appoint/ It's WIIFM...What's In It For Me

What’s your favorite radio station? Are you an easy listening fan, a classical music, hard rock, soft rock, or rap ...]]> It's WIIFM...What's In It For Me

What’s your favorite radio station? Are you an easy listening fan, a classical music, hard rock, soft rock, or rap fan? Let me share with you my favorite. It’s WII FM. It’s very difficult to find for some reason, although it’s playing in every market in the country. I don’t care if you’re in Chicago, Miami or Gun Barrel City (that’s in Texas if you hadn’t guessed). It plays whatever you want to hear. As a matter of fact, that’s the whole point of WII FM. You see, WII FM stands for ‘What’s in it for me?’

Cute…but where’s the tie in to sales and appointment setting? Simple. Too many of us, when writing our value proposition statements that we use in our cold calling scripts (you are using a script, I hope) concentrate on the value of what we sell from our (the seller’s) perspective even though we think it is from the potential customer’s perspective.

I recommend that you take some time and go back to some of your current customers and ask them what they think is the overall value they derived from doing business with you. Notice that I didn’t say what value they thought your product or service brought to them. By asking a much broader question, you might get a totally different answer regarding why they do business with you.

Once you get a consistent answer that you’d like to talk your targets about, build that into the purpose for the call portion of your script, but do it in following way. Don’t just tell them you’d like to meet with them to tell them about the great benefit you can deliver to them. Tell them that you’d like to share with them what your customers are telling you about the impact on their business they believe you did deliver. And, if you can make it quantifiable it’s even more powerful. i.e. – they told us we helped them increase profits by 10%, cut waste by 23%, or double the number of Initial Meetings set (I couldn’t resist!).

It is a subtle difference, but it gives you third party credibility (your customers) and it piques their curiosity a bit, particularly if it is something about what one of their competitors, customers, or suppliers is doing (and curiosity killed the cat, right?) Otherwise, you’re just another peddler who is paid to say good things about your product or service. You believe everything sales people tell you about their products, right?

Give yourself an edge and let your customers say it for you.

Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™ under the brand name Coldcalling101. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.]]> http://www.salescoachinglive.com/barrycaponi/blog/what-s-your-favorite-radio-station-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-appoint/ Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:31:55 +0000 Barry D. Caponi