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Achieve Your 'Unachievable' 2012 Sales Goals

February 6, 2012 by Kendra Lee with 19 views

If there's a universal truth in sales, it's that the start of a new year means everything starts over. Whether you had a terrific 2011 or not, whether you create your own goals or they're handed down, we're all in the same boat. We're facing new revenue goals for 2012, and I'll bet yours are higher than last year's. Freaking out? You're... [read more]

You Have To Touch Your Clients More Often To Be More Client Attractive

February 5, 2012 by Tushar Mathur with 35 views

This post was written by Fabienne Fredrickson. Every time I speak in front of an audience, whether it’s 50 or 1,200 small business owners, I get the same old question. Then following my answer, I always see a roomful of dropped jaws and gaping mouths. The question? How often do I need to reach out to my prospective clients and clients?... [read more]

It’s Not What You Sell - It’s How You Sell It

January 27, 2012 by Andrew Hunt with 162 views

In a world that has gone global, there has never been such stiff competition. Many companies are finding themselves in a much commoditized market place. Even those companies that may have a differentiated product are finding themselves in a commodity buy, because that is how prospects or customers view their purchase decision. It’s no longer about what you sell - as much as it is about how you sell - that will dictate you chances of success. [read more]

How To Handle Objections Like The Politicians Do

January 11, 2012 by Alen Mejer with 74 views

If you are encountering objections in the midst of a pitch, here's how to make everyone feel good about the solution while keeping the conversation flowing. [read more]

5 Ways To Ruin Your Business Rep With Email Marketing

December 16, 2011 by Small Biz Bee with 118 views

'People get antsy when they don't have options.' True! How many small business newsletters have you tried to get removed from again, and again...and again? Don't make these mistakes. [read more]

12 Tips to Close End-of-Year Sales Fast

December 5, 2011 by Kendra Lee with 67 views

Close more profitable deals by slowing down your sales cycle. When you try to close the sale too quickly, before earning the prospect’s trust, it generally becomes a price game – and that’s a hard one to win consistently. [read more]

5 Sales Techniques for Small Businesses

December 3, 2011 by Small Biz Bee with 85 views

 Every small business’ lifeblood is sales, regardless of the product or service it provides. Contractors need customers. Retailers need customers. Architects, landscapers, glaziers, salons, sports bars, graphic designers, and antique shops all rely on local, regional, and even national consumers to stay in business. With so much... [read more]

How Did Your Black Friday Behavior Compare? [Infographic]

November 28, 2011 by Drew McLellan with 74 views

Check out this infographic (from mashwork.com) on what was expected this Black Friday. How did your behavior and choices compare? Most of these predictions were compiled using Twitter conversations from September through November 17th of this year. Makes you wonder what marketing intelligence you might gain with a few targeted Twitter searches. [read more]

Has Black Friday Become Thoughtless Thursday?

November 23, 2011 by Steve Olenski with 57 views

Major brands - from Walmart to Kmart to Sears to Old Navy, to name but a few, will be open for business on Thanksgiving night. As if that's not bad enough, one major department store is running a commercial which features someone stealing something out of another person's shopping cart. [read more]

How Do You Sell What No One Wants to Buy?

November 14, 2011 by Drew McLellan with 92 views

Most of us don’t have the luxury of selling ocean front property, the coolest laptop, the latest in tractor technology or porsches. But in most cases, while it may not be sexy to many — someone really wants it. But how do you sell something that no one has any enthusiasm or interest in buying? You know, things like…. funeral services, trauma clean up or bankruptcy law services. [read more]

Black Friday and Retail (Infograph)

November 4, 2011 by John Lawson with 76 views

If Black Friday 2011 is anything like 2010, retailers are going to be swimming in cash while shoppers bathe in savings. Black Friday deals drew 212 million shoppers to stores in 2010 and collectively spent $39 billion on products and services. The average amount spent by a Black Friday shopper in 2010 was a whopping $365.34! [read more]

A B2B Marketing-Sales Funnel Disconnect

October 16, 2011 by Ardath Albee with 143 views

As most of you likely know, I'm a research fiend. I find it really interesting to learn what marketers think about their work, challenges and achievements. I've read a lot of research in the last few weeks - must be a fall thing - but Marketing Sherpa's Chart of the Week displaying the most challenging marketing-sales funnel processes got me thinking. [read more]

15 Questions You Must Answer for Every Opportunity in Your Pipeline

September 27, 2011 by Bob Apollo with 113 views

Every sales pipeline includes opportunities that are never likely to close, and that - for as long as they remain in the pipeline - will divert resources away from your more attractive opportunities. I’ve found the following 15 questions to be extremely helpful in sorting out the true potential from the unwanted clutter, and I hope that you might find them equally useful… [read more]

The 6 Key Staples of B2B Marketing - and Other Manifesto Pledges

September 20, 2011 by Bob Apollo with 95 views

The dictionary defines a manifesto as a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives. It seems to me - as it does to the good folks at Velocity Partners - that this is an excellent time to set out a new B2B Marketing Manifesto. After all, as they point out, there has never been a more interesting, exciting or challenging time to be a B2B Marketer than right now… [read more]

Conversation with @JulieSteelman, Author of The Effortless Yes! - Part 1

September 16, 2011 by Zane Safrit with 28 views

Julie Steelman is known as "The Entrepreneur’s Selling Mentor." She's the author of The Effortless Yes, Demystify the Selling Process and Discover. This is the first installment in an interview with Steelman about her process and new book. [read more]

4 Ways to Get Your Sales Reps to Ask Better Questions

September 15, 2011 by Matt Heinz with 63 views

Most B2B sales organizations have migrated to some form of consultative or SPIN selling these days. But even though your sales reps may be asking more questions, what separates good from great sales teams is often the ability to ask the right questions, better questions that more quickly and effectively drive interest, urgency and mobility towards a mutually-successful outcome. [read more]

Facebook Contests – Using Them to Expand Your Audience

September 13, 2011 by Michael Cohn with 175 views

The concept of contests through social media to build business has been around for a long time. The murky part is exactly how you leverage the contests to work effectively for your business. Getting people to participate is no problem. With that in mind, it is worth discussing the mechanism of action of Facebook contests and how they can be used most effectively. Another important thing to discuss is what is true and what is false about contests and potential difficulties that you might run into when it comes to Facebook contests. [read more]

'No' Isn’t Failure, It’s An Opportunity

August 28, 2011 by Tushar Mathur with 60 views

Successful sales is all about people and their relationships. If you can build and nurture good, solid relationships with the people you sell to, your services and/or products will always be in demand. [read more]

Social Brand Relevancy 101-Part 1

August 17, 2011 by Pam Moore with 107 views

There is no easy button for social brand relevancy. There is no short cut. Relevancy requires understanding, knowledge, and communication. It takes time and requires investment on your part. Enough that you are able to grab the attention of the recipient. [read more]

The Top 5 Barriers to Better Sales Forecasting

August 2, 2011 by Bob Apollo with 207 views

Missing even a single sales forecast can be a painful experience for everyone involved in the process – from salesperson to manager to shareholder. So what are the keys to consistently accurate sales forecasting? The latest research from the Aberdeen Group offers some important indicators… Earlier this year, the Aberdeen Group surveyed... [read more]

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