Sales Survey 2009, The State of Sales in the UK
I recently partnered Aaron Wallis sales recruitment in producing The State of Sales in the UK, a sales survey, the largest of it’s kind in the UK. Over a period of 6 weeks nearly 800 sales professionals competed the survey and the answers made interesting reading. I am going to be talking about some of the finding and what they mean for you in future blog posts but for now here are the headline... [Read more]
Sales training tips for handling cold calling objections, part I
One of the biggest challenges facing many salespeople is cold calling for new business meetings and winning new sales on the telephone. In many industries cold calling is the most cost effective way of uncovering new business opportunities. It is also an activity which strikes fear into the hearts of even some of the most proactive and confident of salespeople. Not surprisingly, therefore, it is one... [Read more]
Sales Training Tips from Better Business Focus Magazine
Check out the September 2009 issue of Better Business Focus Magazine for sales training tips and strategies. Along with one of my articles you will find: The Sales Director’s New Clothes by Mark Savinson 1o Ways to Manage Cashflow Reach for the Sky by Andrew Griffiths Quality Recruiting by John Salisbury Cookie Perks… A Way to Build Your Customer Service by John Stanley Bestseller Business... [Read more]
Sales training tips – it’s not all about you, you know!
What are your goals? What are your aims? How many sales do you need to make this month? What is your annual sales target? What does your product or service do? How much sales activity do you need to do every month? How many cold calls do you need to make to close enough sales? How many networking meetings do you need to attend? How many client sales meetings do you need to run? How many sales presentations... [Read more]
Check out this loser!
Check out this loser… 1831 – Lost his job 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature 1833 – Failed in business 1835 – Sweetheart died 1836 – Had nervous breakdown 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress 1848 – Lost re-nomination 1849 – Rejected for land officer position 1854... [Read more]
Sales training tip: Know your sales ratios
When I ask salespeople and business owners what their ratios and conversion rates are, few know. They cannot answer simple questions like… How many calls do you need to make to get a meeting? How many mail shots do you need to send to get your quota of inbound leads? How many meetings do you need to chair to get a qualified opportunity? What percentage of qualified opportunities will result in... [Read more]
Repetition is the mother of all skill if you want sales success
“Repetition is the mother of all skill.” ~ Tony Robbins, author of Unlimited Power In sales seminars and sales training programmes I often talk about the difference between sales skills and sales techniques… Sales techniques are something external to you, they are something that you hear or that you know. Sales skills are something that you own, they are yours through hard work and practise.... [Read more]
How Robert fed the ducks!
For the last few days I have been having a long weekend staying in Grassmere in the Lake District. Beautiful. And for once the weather has been beautiful too. Mid afternoon today I was sitting drinking a tea in Bowness by Lake Windermere and a little family (Mum, Dad, two year old boy) arrived to have refreshments too. They looked hot, thirsty and ready for tea. Mum sat down and Dad asked her what... [Read more]
How important is my title when selling?
Gavin You came into our offices around a month ago to deliver a morning’s training and said we could contact you with any thoughts/questions we had following the day – hence me getting in contact! I am a fairly junior salesman, currently employed in a pre-sales role i.e. cold calling companies to set up appointments for the sales team. My question is around job titles – in your experience,... [Read more]
The Sales Apprentice 2009: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, week 12, the final
The final of the Apprentice. Cool, professional Kate versus passionate, entrepreneurial Yasmina. Their brief, design and pitch a new brand of chocolate. Sir Alan said they were his best candidates ever and that it was his hardest decision yet. Either could have won. Yasmina did. So that done (!), I thought I would sum up some of the core sales training lessons from this year’s Sales Apprentice… On... [Read more]
