Bill Walton Sales Training

  • About
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Case Studies
    • Testimonials
    • Awards
    • Media/Press
  • Client List
  • Speaking
    • Book Bill
  • Training
    • Virtual Learning Workshops >
      • The Virtual Sales Kickoff
      • The Four Steps for New Business Now
      • Energy is the New Time
    • Financial Sales Training >
      • Insurance
      • Wealth Management
      • Retirement
      • Banking
    • Commercial Sales Training
  • Sales Enablement
    • Sales Process Development
    • Value Propositions
    • Sales Coaching
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Store
  • About
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Case Studies
    • Testimonials
    • Awards
    • Media/Press
  • Client List
  • Speaking
    • Book Bill
  • Training
    • Virtual Learning Workshops >
      • The Virtual Sales Kickoff
      • The Four Steps for New Business Now
      • Energy is the New Time
    • Financial Sales Training >
      • Insurance
      • Wealth Management
      • Retirement
      • Banking
    • Commercial Sales Training
  • Sales Enablement
    • Sales Process Development
    • Value Propositions
    • Sales Coaching
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Store

Blog

Insights from the field of Selling

Prospecting on a Limited Time Budget

3/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Prospecting is a rhythm thing. But to achieve rhythm, you need the constant space and time for repetition. Prospecting is also a cumulative success phenomenon. The more prospecting you do, the better it gets. Your message gets clearer, you respond more easily to resistance, and you get a better sense of who truly is ideal for you.
 
The thing to remember in selling is to move away from selling a noun, to selling a verb.  For example, while Business Process Improvement may be a strike zone capability for your firm, your client is not really buying business process improvement. They're really buying what that enables - the ability to reassign resources, to potentially reduce headcount, or to increase speed to market for the R&D function. So your "verb" mandates that you speak to what it is and what your projects enable. So sell the “enable”.
 
Here are four things that we can all do to improve our success in prospecting and have more enjoyment in the process.
  1. Target and Segment: When you know where you’re going, you tend to get there. Warm doors and faces are always easier than connecting with those who we don't know. With these folks, move upstream in their business strategy to find/ source/ capitalize on the issues of the day that can be augmented by your solutions. Solicit introductions from sponsors – 68% of senior executives say they will take a meeting upon the recommendation from a credible internal recommendation. For friends and family networks– tell your story at a 10th grade level – keep it simple, but anchor the value that clients feel when they work with you. Use that to ask for an introduction.
  2. Leads vs. Prospects: Prospects are qualified leads that have indicated an interest and intention to buy. A lead and a good one, possesses all of the wonderful characteristics of companies/people you are already working with.
  3. Messaging, messaging, messaging. You need it, they need it. What are you passionate about communicating? What will resonate with that title or role? Your friends and family network also need this – after all, they are your de facto sales force.
  4. Don’t pursue business you can’t win. If it’s not strike zone, if it's resource intensive or if the client needs to be sold on even thinking about doing something about their problem in the first place – pass. You don't want to have to sell three times – to have to sell the concept of changing their current state with outside help, to sell them on your firm and then to sell them on an actual project. Sell two times, but never three. Save these prospects for follow-up after some of you warmer opportunities develop. 
0 Comments

    Thought Leaders

    Bill Walton Sales Training has over 60  years of collective Fortune 500 company experience in Sales, Sales Training and Field Sales Management. Our specialty is preparing individuals and organizations to present their value propositions in a way that results in higher close ratios. Our team are un-blurring the lines of differentiation between their client's fiercest competitors.

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    February 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    April 2012

    Categories

    All
    Taming The Four-Headed Dragon
    The Winning Way

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Bill Walton Sales Training
11 Nassau Drive, Suite 300
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 
1-917-439-3271 Phone
bwalton@billwaltonsalestraining.com

    Sign up for monthly tips

Subscribe to Email Tips
©2020  Bill Walton Sales Training. All rights reserved.
Developed by Visual Media