by Marta Malyk | Oct 26, 2021 | Uncategorized
At One of a Kind Sales, we call our proprietary approach to Cold Calling ‘Conversational Selling’.
We approach each call as a conversation and an opportunity to discover two things:
1. Are we speaking with a decision maker?
and
2. Are they experiencing problems now, or in the future, that we can solve?
We do that, in conversation, by asking a lot of important and pointed questions.
Sales 101
Take for example, the classic sales exercise where you are asked ‘sell me a pen’.
Most people launch into ‘sell’ mode, listing all the features and benefits of owning this particular pen.
With Conversational Selling, we deliberately take a different path. We need to know what is motivating the person’s need for a pen before we know if this is the best pen for them.
Rather than going directly for a sale, we pause and spend time asking important questions to determine if this pen is the best fit for them, or if another might be better.
Build Trust
This approach does a couple of things. First, it earns you the trust of the prospect. They can see that you are genuinely curious to learn about THEM and THEIR needs, as opposed to just selling YOUR product.
Qualify the Prospect
It also provides you with the opportunity to decide if this buyer is a good fit for you!
Don’t Rush
This approach also forces you to SLOW DOWN.
Many salespeople are guilty of approaching each prospect with an attitude of ‘ let’s close this deal and move onto the next’.
When you do that, you often miss important details and information which is key to determining how to best sell this prospect.
You need to learn how THIS prospect wants to buy. Listening and drawing information out through questioning provides you with this info.
Equal Stature
When you approach a sales call as a conversation you create equal stature that allows you to determine if this prospect is a good fit. And to determine whether you can solve their problem.
This takes the pressure off of the salesperson AND the prospect.
A Proven Track Record
We have been practicing this method for over 29 years, refining our approach, and messaging as needed. Not only has it been successful for us and our clients, but it has also worked well for the salespeople that we have trained.
In addition to making you a better salesperson, our Conversational Selling training will benefit you across all areas of your professional and even your personal life by helping you become a better LISTENER.
Be Deliberately Different
At the end of the day, Conversational Selling will set you apart – people remember people who are different.
As you know, I love this quote from Coco Chanel who famously said, “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”
Being deliberately different, by design, will improve your sales, fill your pipeline and relive you and the prospect of the pressure of a hard sell.
Invest in Yourself
Sales training benefits individual salespeople and companies as a whole, by sharpening their skills, increasing the knowledge base, keeping the company competitive and growing revenue.
Ongoing sales training should be a part of every employee’s weekly schedule, at every level. Yes, even management! This keeps people involved, up to date on the industry best practices and engaged with their team and their prospects.
If you need help shifting YOUR mindset from selling features and benefits to Conversational Selling, give us a call. Our ‘Call Center in a Box‘ and ‘Close the Deal‘ programs provide the ongoing sales training you and your team needs to succeed!
by Marta Malyk | Oct 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
I have noticed that many salespeople are quick to spend an exorbitant amount of time and money on live events, claiming that they offer networking opportunities that they cannot afford to miss. That time and money would be better spent on Cold Calling. Cold Calling IS networking!
When done correctly, Cold Calling provides all the benefits of networking at a much lower cost and in a shorter time frame.
Cold Calling vs Networking
Here are some of the most important reasons to network professionally:
- To build and nurture your professional network
- To stay visible and top of mind with your community
- To stay on top of industry news and advancements
- To help others and build good will
Cold Calling provides the opportunity to do all of these, and more!
- Cold Calling helps build and nurture your professional network. When making Cold Calls, you are introduced to new people and have the opportunity to touch base with older contacts. And since you are speaking with them, one on one over the phone, instead of across a table with numerous others – some of whom may be competitors – I would argue that the conversations you have during a Cold Call are more advantageous.
But the key word there is ‘CONVERSATIONS’ – when done correctly, a Cold Call is a conversation!
- Cold Calling helps you stay visible and top of mind with your community. Again, when Cold Calling, you are ‘touching’ the prospect – even if it is only to leave a voicemail. These ‘touches’ help establish a sense of trust and by maintaining a regular delivery cadence, you will stay top of mind.
- Cold Calling helps you stay on top of industry news and advancements. While you may not be gaining information from your prospects, a good salesperson will be sure to stay on top of industry news in order to be able to provide that on calls if needed. Cold Calling incentivizes salespeople to be in the know!
- Cold Calls provide opportunities to help others and build good will. A good salesperson will be listening, on a Cold Call, for problems they can solve. If they cannot provide an appropriate solution, they will offer a referral. This not only helps the prospect but serves to build good will.
How much time should you spend networking?
According to Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI (Business Network International, which claims to be the largest business networking organization in the world) people should spend 8 – 10 hours per week networking. To achieve this by attending networking events, you need to then add the commute time, factor in the costs of the event and the lousy coffee and hope that your target audience will be there.
Yes, attending some live networking events can be helpful but I say, cut to the chase! Pick up the phone and make a call. And start thinking of your Cold Calling time as ‘networking’ – making and building new connections. I bet this shift in mindset will you’re your calls become more conversational and productive. Let me know how it goes!
Do you need help shifting your mindset out of ‘selling’ mode and into ‘conversation’ mode? Check out our Call Center in a Box program where we train you and your team in our time-proven Conversational Selling technique. OUR SALES TRAINING gets YOUR people delivering real results!
by Marta Malyk | Sep 28, 2021 | Cold Calling, Lead Generation, Sales Prospecting, The Inside Sales Solution
I am so excited to announce that my book, The Inside Sales Solution is now available!
This short, easy to read book shows YOU how to set-up an effective outbound prospecting program. You will learn how to build and manage a team of successful outbound prospectors and take back control of your lead generation.
In any business, there are so many moving parts and obstacles to connecting with prospects, many of which are not in our control. It can feel like we are at the mercy of everything from the google algorithm to the newest technology to avoid email tracking. But direct outreach – COLD CALLING – is one channel of new business development that can be 100% under your control!
When done well, outbound prospecting can keep the top of your funnel FULL and your bottom line healthy.
Part of a complete marketing plan
Today, you cannot rely on any one single means of communication and outreach. You must utilize both inbound AND outbound prospecting as part of a complete marketing plan.
In this book, I show you the key components of the strategy that you must put in place to develop a successful outbound prospecting program. One that drives consistent, qualified leads and sales. One that can form a foundation, on top of which you can build your other (long-term) inbound marketing efforts.
Take control of your future
Having an “always-on” outbound prospecting program gives you a source of leads that is 100% activity based, which you can control and manage.
It’s a very direct approach to reaching your most ideal potential clients, producing a conveyor belt of constantly replenishing prospects.
Less time wasted, more qualified leads generated
With our approach, your salespeople won’t waste their time chasing after the wrong deals. They will be properly prepared to identify qualified leads and move on when they reach those that are not a good fit. This saves time and leaves you with leads that close more quickly and reliably.
Cold Calling Still Works – When Done Right
People say, “Cold calling is dead.” Well, the old fashioned approach where you picked up the yellow pages, picked up the phone and dialed, IS dead. And good riddance! That is NOT how we do it.
We have a new, 21st century approach which WORKS
We provide companies with the tools and training to succeed in the current work environment. We develop scripts and show you how to sound different. We set you up on an effective lead-management CRM tool that will monitor your efforts as well as track vital data about your prospects. It will automatically let you know the best time to call and when to follow up.
Effectively implementing this type of technology is key to your success – we set you up on it and show you how to use it. This book outlines it all, showing YOU how to put this into place in YOUR company!
Don’t be left behind
My goal is to help YOU succeed! As a member of our One of a Kind Sales Community, I am offering the book FREE of charge as a digital download or you can purchase it here on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle book.
Get your copy of the book TODAY to learn how to create and manage an effective inside sales team and harness the power of outbound prospecting to keep YOUR funnel full!
Need more help?
And if you need more help getting YOUR team set-up and up to speed, give us a call at 908.879.2911 – we know Cold Calling and Lead Gen and can make them work for YOU!
by Marta Malyk | Sep 14, 2021 | Cold Calling, Lead Generation, Sales Prospecting
Even when you are on the top of your game, you will hear ‘NO’, many more times than you will hear ‘YES’ when prospecting. Here are some activity tracking tips to help you reach your prospecting goals, by staying motivated and on track.
If you know me at all, you know that I love a good challenge. And that I have never met a quota I didn’t want to meet or beat!
This has served me well as an entrepreneur and has certainly been a key component of my success. It keeps me prospecting, long after others have given up. But that doesn’t mean it is easy. Staying motivated and on track is always a challenge.
Here is a trick I use to keep myself motivated and to stay on track when prospecting.
My ‘Workbook’
I have a mini spreadsheet with my goals, that I set up every week. In the left hand column, I list all the activities I need to complete to meet my quota. The key for me, is to include my weekly goal for each one, in the next column.
Then I have columns for Monday through Friday where I input the progress I made each day on each task. The last column is the total, the actual number I completed that week.
The simple act of setting the goals each week and then updating them each day, motivates me to work harder to meet and exceed those numbers!
Why this works
You have probably heard the quote, ‘What you Measure, Improves’ or ‘What you Measure, Matters’. This isn’t a new concept but it’s one that has helped me, and the teams I work with, stay on track and really deliver!
Why this works for ME
For me, setting the goals focuses my attention and watching my progress is a real motivator. All of us have more to do than there are hours in the day. This process helps me prioritize the tasks and actions that ensure I succeed.
Try it yourself!
If this sounds like something that might work for you, click here for a free downloadable version of my ‘Workbook’, the mini spreadsheet I use to monitor and measure MY progress.
Your KPI’s
You don’t need to measure EVERYthing you do – actually, the whole point is to identify the KEY tasks that drive results and to focus on those.
Those will be YOUR Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and will differ from mine, based on your role, objectives and responsibilities. Modify your document to reflect your priorities.
Customize as needed
The weekly format works best for me but you can customize the spreadsheet to be monthly, to have each week in a month on a different sheet – you could even do it by day.
Don’t burn through your ROI!
As a colleague often says, don’t burn through your Return on Investment (ROI), monitoring and measuring your ROI.
Defining my goals at the start of the week, filling in my progress each day and totaling the results at the end of the week works well for me. Try these activity tracking tips to reach YOUR prospecting goals.
Experiment and adjust the timing to see what works for you.
Need help?
Do you need help identifying the tasks YOU need to complete to achieve YOUR quota? Need help completing those tasks? Not sure of what to actually SAY on a call?
Give us a call at 908.879.2911 – we can get you and your team set up and ready for success!
Need more motivation?
Email me at leads@oneofakindsales.com and put ‘sign me up’ in the subjectline to sign up for our enewsletters with more advice, like this, twice a month, delivered to your inbox.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for daily insights, tips and motivation!
Good luck and keep dialing!
by Marta Malyk | Aug 31, 2021 | Cold Calling, Lead Generation, Sales Prospecting
At One of a Kind Sales, we talk a lot about LISTENING. But the tone of YOUR voice is also key to your Cold Calling success.
According to an industry statistic, “93% of the potential success of your cold call is attributed to the tone of your voice during the conversation.”
How do you sound?
Confidence is AUDIBLE – make sure the client hears this.
This is one of the many reasons we say that you should memorize your script. Knowing what you are going to say, without having to think about it, helps instill confidence.
Having your rebuttals ready helps too.
And of course, PRACTICE! The more conversations you have, the better you will become.
Match their tone
And it isn’t just confidence. I also recommend that you match the prospect’s cadence and style of communication. If they are calm and soft spoken, speaking quickly and confidently may be a turn off or feel ‘salesy’.
Really LISTEN to what the prospect is saying AND to their tone. Then match their tone in your delivery. For more about this please see our post on Active Listening
What NOT to do
And for a humorous look at what NOT to do, check out this vintage Saturday Night Live skit with Chris Farley and Paul McCartney.
If you need help with YOUR delivery, give us a call at 908.879.2911 – we can provide you with the skills that will instill the confidence YOU need to succeed!
