Two of the top recommendations we make in our sales development engagements are 1) don’t waste time on unqualified buyers, and 2) seek to achieve a 100% closing rate on all qualified buyers. 

The failure rate among small business salespeople is alarming.  I’ve heard turnover figures as high as 40%.  Consequently, when small businesses hire salespeople to help them grow revenue, they have about a 50-50 chance of success.  In my book, that’s not so good.

Like the early days of email marketing, the early days of cold calling were incredibly effective. Getting a phone call was a novelty. It was special, not annoying. This led to more telephone conversations and ultimately, more sales. That’s changed quite a bit over time. Marketers and salespeople have over-used the tactic, driving down its effectiveness and annoying prospects in the process.

When was the last time you told someone about the milk you purchased? Probably never. Most people have never shared an experience buying milk, because when you buy milk, you almost always get exactly what you expect.

Are elite salespeople made or born?  That’s a question I get frequently.  No question – there are natural born salespeople.  But, if you hire a natural born salesperson, there’s no guarantee that person will become an elite salesperson in your company.  There’s more to it than that.

Are you excited about the prospect of inbound marketing for your business, but afraid you won’t achieve a reasonable ROI?

Most salespeople like to talk. Ever notice that? They’re driven to make sales and enthused about their products, and they often want to tell you all the reasons you should buy. However, equipped with two ears and one mouth, a good salespeople should spend twice as much time listening than talking.