This week’s blog comes from guest blogger, Dave Kurlan. Dave is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales leadership expert.
Now that we are nearly 3 weeks into the new year, have you changed anything with regard to goals, strategies or plans? How about targets? A few small tweaks to your targets can have a huge impact on revenue!
Problem: Many salespeople wish there was a secret formula to prospecting successfully for new customers. We often hear salespeople moan, “If only more people would listen and talk to me. We know they would buy our service.”
Analysis: Prospects are bombarded with sales messages and buying opportunities. One recent study estimated that on average each of us is exposed to more than one thousand messages every day. Add to this the complexity and pace of business, prospects have no real way to cope but to screen out much of what they hear and see. Further, prospects buy for their own reasons and at the time that is right for them-not for your reasons or timing.
Problem: A large majority of salespeople struggle to get in front of enough prospects to keep their pipeline full. As a result, they feel desperate, have a difficult time dealing with rejection, and often avoid asking the tough questions to find out if they really should be spending their time with someone. This leads to a long selling cycle, inefficient time management, and ultimately, failure.
Problem: Have you ever heard the term “sales profession?” How about “medical profession?” Which one do you think has the most credibility? Admittedly I’m biased; I am a “professional” salesperson. Which would the general public—the people who are our prospective buyers—give the most credibility to as a real profession? My guess is medicine.