Business to Business Sales Advice (Conclusion)

know you yet...and that's fair. That's the reality of the moment. After they get to know you, they will respect you're personal perspective on what you feel is good for them, but not now. It's too soon. Got It?

Here's my point. How many times have you heard someone talking to a prospect and communicating the words, "Here's what I'd like to do", or "I think you should have me come in to meet and ...", or "In my experience, here's what I've seen."
Get my point? We already realize we are perfect strangers to this target prospect, so why should we reference what WE think or what WE have found to work. It's not valid data. So here's the golden rule:

Avoid 1st Party references when communicating on a sales prospecting call.

Replace 1st Party references with 3rd Party Valuators.
When you communicate the 'Business Reason to Meet', back it up with real numbers; business data like your own conversion ratios of helping prospects become clients or your overall company's ratios. What about condensed case studies of current customers that hold the same title of responsibility in the same industry? Or how about accumulating business ROI statistics in relevant modules in line with prospect business issues and challenges?

3rd party references to support the 'Business Reason to Meet' should be specific and applicable to your Prospect's world, and not visually project a one-sided salesperson view or a marketing brochure.

Sales Prospecting Error #6

We fail to document all possible Objections and develop Powerful communication templates to negotiate 3rd Solutions.

"There are only a finite amount of scenarios in any selling process and if you identify, train to and measure each and every one, you are on your way to excellence."
That statement I coined some years back is especially true in a sales prospecting conversation.

It means there are only a finite number of objections you encounter over the telephone when attempting to set a 1st appointment with your Target contact.
Statements like, "Send me some information", and "I don't handle that...so and so does".
Or what about the popular, "I'm happy with my current Vendor" and 'I'm under a Contract"?

Identify all of them and develop Powerful communications templates in line with each one.

Perception is Reality.
Your target sales prospects initially will put you into a 'Perception bucket' you do not belong in and you can't afford to be in. They want to fit you into a past experience, good or bad. It's up to you to differentiate yourself from the very beginning when directly responding to concerns and objections spoken, unspoken, or implied.

'Systemize' your Sales Prospecting System into individual Components and Elements and 'Practice before you Preach'.

You're only as good as the intellectual capital you share throughout your sales organization. That will keep you ahead of the competition.

Understand the 6 errors that have been discussed in this article series and decide to do the opposite. Develop best practices and business communication paths parallel to each possible scenario. Because best practices are techniques that through experience and measurement more often than not lead to the desired result.

Then invest in the technology to bundle it up into a learning system that you can become certified to, adopt it and adapt it over time.

We understand why Professional athletes practice prior to the event. Professional sales people need to do the same.
Because if you can double the amount of targeted sales appointments and spend half the time achieving it, it will save you a bunch of valuable time, make you more money and get you the recognition you deserve.
And that's a worthy cause indeed.

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