by Nancy Calabrese | Dec 14, 2018 | Sales Prospecting
In the mid 1800’s over 300,000 people made their way to California in the hopes of finding gold. When they first arrived, some were able to use their hands to gather flakes of gold running in the rivers and streams! Others used the pans we associate with images of the era, squatting along the waterways, sifting through acres of water, gravel and dirt in search of nuggets. As the financial rewards increased, advanced techniques evolved to reach the source of the metal and involved diverting the water from streams and mining the river bottom. This was difficult, dangerous and back breaking work.
Today, sales prospectors are looking for qualified LEADS which will be converted to CLOSED SALES. While I think we can all agree that we have it easier than the gold prospectors, many business people still DREAD prospecting! Even though we are sitting in our warm/ cool, dry office with a phone, computer databases and all the modern technology known to man, many business people we work with still seem to think of sales prospecting as difficult, dangerous and if not backbreaking, definitely a pain in the neck.
And then they don’t DO IT.
As a result, their sales funnel dries up and their businesses flounder. We see this all the time and over the next few months, we will be addressing many of the reasons people don’t bother prospecting for sales. We will offer tips and suggestions you and your team can use to help YOU become a more effective prospector.
But first, a quick reminder WHY Prospecting needs to be a key part of your business plan.
1.No leads = no sales!
Without prospecting, we have no leads. And without leads, we have no sales.
2.It IS a numbers game.
It can take more than 8 – 12 calls to get a single appointment set. And appointments are how we close sales. So you do the math – how many appointments do YOU need to make, per week, meet YOUR goals? Multiply that by 8 – 12 to get the minimum number of calls you need to make per week.
Essentially, the answer to ‘why bother prospecting?’ is, to keep your business alive and growing!
Here are the top reasons we hear for why businesses don’t bother prospecting:
- They don’t enjoy it so they avoid doing it
- They are too busy with the work they already have
- It hasn’t been productive in the past, so they think of it as a waste of time
Over the next few weeks I will address each of these concerns and provide actionable solutions for each.
And for now, each time you dread picking up that phone to make a prospecting call, remember those dirty, sweaty guys, crouching along a stream in 1840’s California in the 100 degree sun and think to yourself, ‘well, at least I am cool and comfortable as I pan for my gold!’
And if you need help RIGHT NOW, give us a call at 908.879.2911, we LOVE cold calling and can take this dreaded task off your hands. Don’t let another day pass without prospecting calls being made on your behalf – call us TODAY to keep your sales funnel full and your business on track!
by Nancy Calabrese | Nov 20, 2018 | Lead Generation
The first snow of the season hit the Northeast recently and while the weather people had predicted precipitation, the deluge of snow clearly caught us off guard! Cancelled trains, traffic snafus, sliding vehicles, regional flight delays and a dearth of snow plows all underscored just how unprepared we all were despite the weather forecasts.
As we dig out and resolve to be better prepared next time, my thoughts go to business planning for the coming year. How prepared are YOU for the coming year? While I cannot forecast precisely what storms you will need to weather, I can, with confidence, predict that you will encounter some surprises. Read on to see how we can help YOU be well prepared for 2019.
One of the best ways to buffer bad business spells is to have a full funnel of leads. If your current lead generation program leaves you feeling a bit exposed to the elements, we can help! We can train your team so they are prepared to more effectively make the calls needed to build YOUR business. Click here to learn more about our ‘Call Center in a Box’ training options.
Don’t have a team in place or need some reinforcements? We identify candidates that will add value to your team and build your bottom line. Click here for more information about our ‘One of a Kind Search’ hiring program.
And if it’s all you can do to just dig out and keep the business running, hire us! We LOVE cold calling and can make the calls and set the appointments YOU need to keep moving forward, whatever the weather! Click here to learn more about our Cold Calling, Lead generation and Appointment setting services.
Start the year off strong with full funnel of qualified leads so YOU are prepared for whatever 2019 will bring!
by Nancy Calabrese | Oct 23, 2018 | Cold Calling Tips, Sales Training
Cold calling can be scary. Sales people making the call are afraid of rejection. Call recipients are fearful of picking up the phone, afraid of having their time wasted. Scariest of all is the bottom line, when dozens of man hours and thousands of dollars produce no, or poor quality, leads.
If this fright fest is familiar, you need to try our winning approach to cold calling which drives qualified leads and bottom line results!
At One of a Kind Sales, I’ve carefully trained my team to deliver exceptional sales results, using our proprietary process. If your company is struggling with your sales process, here are some of our winning strategies that you can incorporate to BOO’st your frightful cold calling results:
Define your sales process. I have found that the more structure you can put into your qualified lead generation process, the easier it will be to educate and train your team. An efficient and clearly defined sales process increases production and gets new sales reps up and running quickly.
Be results oriented. In order to deliver results, a team must know what is expected of them and when. Establish high but achievable goals. Make sure everything in your process is working toward achieving those goals.
Train and train again. Don’t rest on your laurels. Strive to constantly make your team better. Even after years of success, One of A Kind Sales continues to train on consultative selling skills and how to draw out information from prospects. We have found that giving your team opportunities to share
Coach constantly. Make no mistake, I have found that coaching drives production better and faster than any other single practice. The highly effective sales managers I work with place a high priority on coaching to build confidence and optimize results. I suggest you take advantage of every opportunity to provide feedback that will make sales reps perform better.
Provide the right technology and tools. Don’t let your team wing it. I encourage you to provide your inside sales team with scripts that can be personalized and used to progress the conversation. The right CRM will ensure higher productivity.
When your sales people are properly trained on our proprietary call process, they are more engaged and effective. Business people who receive calls from these well trained sales people are more receptive and interested in learning more about your products and services. Your investment pays off in warm leads that convert to sales.
Give us a call and take the fear out of YOUR cold calling process. Click here to contact us and to learn more about our winning approach to Cold Calling!
by Nancy Calabrese | Sep 25, 2018 | Lead Generation
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018, CHESTER, NJ. Nancy Calabrese, an expert in qualified lead generation and appointment setting is pleased to announce the launch of One of a Kind Sales (OOAKS), an expansion of her company’s offerings, One of a Kind Solutions. OOAKS has undergone a total brand review and today unveiled its new offerings, name, logo and website to support its place as a pre-eminent qualified lead generation company.
A mere seven years ago, Ms. Calabrese launched One of a Kind Solutions. With the dawn of One of a Kind Sales, new notable sales services are now offered. In addition to qualified lead generation and appointment setting, “One of a Kind Search” helps build companies’ inside sales teams by leveraging OOAKS consultative sales techniques and hiring expertise. When sales teams are looking to improve their own cold calling outcomes, OOAKS offers “Cold Center in a Box” which gives them the proper tools and structure for qualifying leads and setting appointments within their own organizations.
The rebranding reflects One of a Kind Sales’ absolute focus on sales and sales support. Ms. Calabrese’s philosophy is that closed sales stem from embracing a rigorous cold calling process executed to defined prospects. The OOAKS process culls very targeted leads, engages decision makers, builds rapport, sets appointments and facilitates the close of the sale.
“Sales is what we are all about,” shared Nancy Calabrese, CEO and Founder of One of a Kind Sales. “We embody sales in everything we do. Our callers are salespeople rather than telemarketers. Our sales technique embraces consultative selling, qualifying and uncovering pain. When companies hire One of a Kind Sales, they are adding an entire sales department, as well as thought leaders knowledgeable in effective marketing.”
Cold calling is a piece of the sales process that is often neglected. Salespeople frequently avoid picking up the phone to make cold calls. Through its comprehensive process, One of a Kind Sales becomes each company’s sales engine that fuels new business activity by generating qualified appointments.
Since its inception in 2011, One of a Kind Sales has been recognized for its unique approach to qualified lead generation using consultative selling and its proprietary cold calling process. OOAKS has helped scores of B2B companies streamline their sales process and improve sales outcomes. Today, OOAKS serves individual sales leaders as well as sales teams that are struggling to keep their pipelines full with qualified leads and appointments.
One of a Kind Sales works with B2B enterprises where sales is integral to growth. To date, OOAKS had been a valuable resource for a variety of industries: Payroll, Insurance, Technology, Education, Public Relations, Marketing, Sales Training, HR Training & Consulting, Publishing, Logistics, Commercial Cleaning, Commercial Real Estate, Extended Warranty & Repair, Cost Containment, Commercial Moving, Commercial Printing, and Medical Review Services.
The new OOAKS look evokes the very targeted approach they utilize and reflects their unique presales process. The bold and attention getting colors align with OOAKS ability to engage prospects for sales follow-up and the passion and excitement with which their team embraces cold calling. While the offerings, name, logo and website have changed to better represent what the company’s focus truly is, OOAKS value proposition remains the same – generating qualified leads that are ready to close.
About One of a Kind Sales
Since 2011, One of a Kind Sales has helped scores of B2B companies improve the quality of their prospects and facilitated closed sales. Nancy Calabrese saw a need for better quality, highly specialized, qualified lead generation. The combination of the OOAKS proprietary process and their consultative approach increases efficiencies, reduces costs and facilitates closed sales. Additional information including method and offerings, and clients OOAKS has worked with can be found at www.oneofakindsales.com.
by Nancy Calabrese | Aug 13, 2018 | Advice, Best Sales Practices, Cold Calling Tips
People think of cold calling as picking up the phone and continually dialing prospects until you have success. But cold calling is not a random process and you will have much greater success if you set up your process and prepare the right documents before you get started. Successful sales professionals don’t wing it. Cold calling is all about planning and execution. Here’s what you need to do before you start Cold Calling:
Research – Compile a list of decision makers and whenever possible obtain their phone numbers and emails. Collect information about the prospect that allows you to engage them in a meaningful conversation.
CRM – Leverage the power of a CRM to set benchmarks, quantify KPI’s, and track your results. This is the best way to collect information about the prospect, to monitor who you have called, where you are in the process and quantify the outcome.
Telephone Scripts – To ensure that you sound professional and your calls are productive, prepare scripts for your initial call, and follow-up calls as well.
Voice Message Scripts – Often you won’t be able to reach your prospects directly by phone. So it will be necessary to leave a brief but meaningful voice mail messages. Have them prepared before you start dialing.
FAQ’s – You want to be prepared when the prospect asks questions. Anticipate and prepare responses to potential objections. Spend some time to document what questions they might ask and what your responses should be.
Training – It’s important that each salesperson is well versed in all the steps and potential outcomes of the process. Role playing is a good way to accomplish this.
Practice – Practice is the only way for you to know your pitch cold and to sound natural on your calls. Your goal is to have a conversation with the prospect, not sell them.
Think of your process as your secret weapon, helping you manage your efforts and more easily achieve your objectives. Need help establishing an effective process for yourself and your sales team? Give us a call at 908.879.2911 or email Leads@OneofaKindSales.com, we can help!
