Business owners often want to see quick sales results and instant ROI. That is like putting up the walls of a building without first building a sturdy foundation. Yes, you can throw up some walls but they will be flimsy and won’t stand up to the weather or the test of time!
The same is true in business. You need a strong foundation to build your business upon.
At One of a Kind Sales, we build you a STURDY sales foundation with daily, consistent outreach to your target audience. We work to develop long term relationships with the decision makers who will convert to real, CLOSED sales.
Building a strong foundation is the hard part – the part that takes time and patience, but the part that is most crucial to building a thriving business. And we can do this for you!
If your sales results are feeling a bit flimsy – or you know that your foundation is anything less than rock solid – give us a call. We can build you the foundation YOU need to build your business upon!
In our experience, retaining Lead Generation Services on a Month to Month basis leads to disappointing results and increased salesforce turnover.
We have noticed that some of our competitors are offering this type of lead generation services option. We think that this option is a shortsighted strategy which is a waste of your time and money and as such, we do NOT offer this option.
Month to Month Lead Generation Services are a shortsighted strategy
Strong Sales Reps need a good 6 – 9 months to get their ‘mojo’ going. See our previous post on nurturing a successful sales team for more on this. If a sales person is on a month to month retainer, they may not have the time needed to show real results.
It takes time to learn the ropes and to develop connections that will result in real sales. Unrealistic expectations of immediate sales production creates pressure, causes quality to slip and can lead to premature turnover.
Month to Month Lead Generation Services are a waste of your time and money
It may LOOK like you are saving money in the short term but in reality, you are probably going to churn through salespeople and prospects more quickly and way less effectively, if you retain people solely on a month to month basis, costing you more and delivering you poor results.
Long term lead generation services will result in lower turnover, higher quality leads and stronger sales
Commit to the time necessary for salespeople to get up to speed and to develop the relationships they need to deliver the results YOU want!
When you are ready to invest in long term lead generation services with QUALITY salespeople who will deliver quality leads, give us a call! Our salespeople are trained to deliver solid results, consistently and over the long run. Click here to learn more and start getting the results YOU want, TODAY!
Yes, you can do your banking and order everything from dinner to a washing machine to nail clippers online. You can turn on your TV, adjust the volume and lock your doors, even when you are not anywhere nearby. But you really cannot replace HUMAN INTERACTION for real results, especially when it comes to sales.
We are not disparaging technology – effective salespeople rely on a wide array of technical tools to identify prospects, monitor call volume and track KPIs. We are talking about the type of personal interaction that allows you to make a REAL CONNECTION with your prospects.
Real, personal connection can be fostered in many ways. If your prospect is close by, meeting face to face is always a good way to connect with someone. Often, a live meeting can make the difference between ‘identifying a prospect’ and ‘creating a relationship that leads to SALES’.
When a client is not in your zip code, or even your state, the phone is an excellent tool. But it is only effective when the calls are made by people who are really LISTENING and INTERACTING with the people on the other end of the line. People are getting bombarded by robocalls all the time so you need to be sure to connect personally if you want to close sales.
We really like to use video calling. There are a number of easy to use platforms available including Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts and more that can facilitate meetings that are the next best thing to live!
Frequently, salespeople will lament that they have built themselves huge social networks (often at great time and expense) but they are disappointed that these efforts have NOT resulted in actual sales. Social networks CAN possibly help you identify good prospects, but if you are not connecting in person, via the phone or video calls, you are NOT really connecting.
In person, phone calls and video calls allow you to build REAL connections with your prospect, allowing them to hear the inflection in your voice and see and FEEL your passion and enthusiasm.
Yes, technology can facilitate these calls but it is the PERSONAL INTERACTION that is the differentiator you need to really succeed in sales!
If you are NOT making the connections nor seeing the results YOU need, give us a call – we can help you with your script, train you and your team on your delivery and even make calls for you if needed! Contact us at 908.879.2911 or leads@oneofakindsales.com
When hiring sales team members, keep in mind that good Sales Reps need a good six to nine months of ramp-up time before they hit their stride and start delivering real sales. If you aren’t cognizant of this and cut bait before they have a chance to deliver, you are undermining your company’s sales efforts and wasting the time of potentially valuable sales people.
Too often, I hear from impatient C-suite execs who are expecting closed sales on day two from their new hires. Having extensive experience with training both our own sales team and the teams of others, we know what realistic guidelines look like and what you should expect from your sales people and when.
This is NOT to say that they shouldn’t be delivering! It is just to remind you that closed sales take time and legwork. For the first few months, you need to evaluate your salespeople on the activities they control and be sure they are doing that legwork.
Here are some guidelines for what to expect from your new sales reps and when:
Networking
A brand new Sales Rep should be out pounding the pavement from day one. They should be networking, both in person and virtually, making connections and finding leads.
Cold Calling
And they should, of course, be COLD CALLING! Making calls, EVERY DAY, gathering information and setting appointments with qualified leads is expected from day one and is something that can and should be tracked. (See our post on KPI’s for more on what you should track for sales success.)
Learning about the Company
The new producer should also be making time to learn about the company, the products and/or services as well as the company culture. They need to be able to identify the target audience so they can have the RIGHT conversations with the RIGHT prospects.
They also need to understand your company’s differentiators so they can address those prospects’ concerns, reservations and pain points.
Appointments
All Sales Reps should then be setting appointments with QUALIFIED leads. Depending on your industry and sales structure, they may pass this along to a closer or they should be skilled enough to close the deal themselves.
Different Industries have different timelines
In some verticals, like the insurance industry, it can take up to 2 – 3 YEARS to validate a book of business. In this case, you, as an employer, may not realize your ROI for 2 – 3 years. This can be difficult but being shortsighted or having unrealistic expectations, will only undermine your sales efforts.
Time to closing can also be impacted by the SIZE of the target company. Larger companies have more layers of management and often more conservative purchasing approaches, so this usually means that it takes longer line up all the RIGHT people and departments to close sales.
Understanding YOUR target audiences’ timeline and sequence, and addressing those factors in your strategy, can make for less frustration and smoother progress.
List Quality is KEY
No matter what industry you are in, lead generation should be happening in the first months. But cold calling results are HIGHLY dependent upon the QUALITY of your call lists. Keep this in mind if your Sales reps do not seem to be ‘producing’ quality leads.
Realistic Expectations
Employers need to set realistic expectations for deliverables and good sales reps need to be diligent and consistent in their approach and delivery. Good sales results come from repetition and reinforcement.
If your sales team is not producing the results YOU need, give us a call at 908.879.2911 – we can get them up to speed and show them how to produce REAL results.
Are you unhappy with your cold-calling results from 2018? Know something needs to change but not sure what it is? Here are 5 ways to boost YOUR cold-calling results in 2019!
1. Be CONSISTENT
Consistency is KEY to your success in this business! I HIGHLY recommend setting aside a specific amount of time EVERY DAY, to make your cold calls. I know that things come up and meetings need to happen so you may not be able to make the calls at the same time every day but make sure that you are making time, every day, for calls.
The amount of time you need to spend is dependent on your goals. (I will address this formula in an upcoming post.) But studies show that you need to ‘touch’ someone 8 – 12 times before you make a real connection. Keep this in mind as you dial!
Stick to the same script to keep your messaging consistent and you will see results. Remember, NO means ‘not just now’ and every dial gets you closer to a YES!
2. Stay POSITIVE
When you are making your calls, think ‘positive’!
Not only can the person you are speaking with FEEL the positive vibe but getting yourself into a positive mindset can really make the difference between just making calls and SETTING APPOINTMENTS.
Remember that ‘Attitude Drives Behavior’ and YOU control YOUR attitude.
Here is a short video with an interesting take on how to stay positive with ‘Inverse Paranoia’ Darren Daily: Inverse Paranoia
3. Have, and use, a FOLLOW-UP PLAN
Deals are LOST due to lack of, or poor execution of, follow-up!
I HIGHLY recommend using a CRM that automatically enters your calls into your queue and having a cohesive follow-up plan. Depending on the outcome of each call, you may be identifying and reaching out to the ‘right’ person or setting appointments – the call is only the first step, be sure you have a clear map to CLOSING.
Your plan will vary based on your needs and goals but make sure that it also includes a STOP point. You don’t want to OVER follow-up (which leads to burn out on both ends – the prospect AND the salesperson making the calls!)
If the prospect is not interested after your fourth call, you should take them out of your rotation for a few months before reaching out again. And if they have ghosted you – are no longer taking your calls – you should have an email follow-up that you can send. In that email, ask prospects to clarify where they are in the process, what has changed and to be frank, clarifying if they no longer wish to be contacted.
4. Know and MONITOR Your KPI’s
MAKING a specific number of phone calls is NOT the ultimate sales goal – know what YOUR goals ARE!
Clearly identifying your goals and monitoring your progress towards those goals is KEY to ACHIEVING them! Knowing YOUR KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) will help you stay ON TRACK.
Sales tactics, techniques and technology change constantly – you need to be a life-long learner to succeed! Practice WILL get you closer to perfect but staying on top of industry trends and refreshing your skills is VITAL. Educational posts with sales insights and tips can help, as can videos and podcasts.
We offer training for salespeople of all levels, keeping them up to date with best practices, sharpening their skills and giving them the tools they need to succeed. We make sure that they KNOW and MEET their KPI’s and consistently hit and EXCEED their sales goals.
If you are NOT seeing the results you need, give us a call – we can help you with your script, train you and your team on your delivery and even make calls for you if needed! Contact us at 908.879.2911 or leads@oneofakindsales.com
