Colleen’s Blog

Before you do any finalizing of your territory plans, do you have a concrete and thorough understanding of the market you're looking to enter? By having a proper understanding of the target market, you are able to make your decisions based on solid facts and not just what you believe the facts to be. I know this may come off as a basic or elementary sales lesson, but time and time again I see sales leaders basing their territory plans on assumptions or what they'd like to see happen in the marketplace, as opposed to what's truly happening. I have a tale of warning that I'd like to share with you.

Have you downloaded my whitepaper The Inside Track: 6 proven disciplines to lead your sales organization to winning results yet? If not, it’s as easy as going to my Facebook page to download it! Without a doubt, you’re doing everything you can to get a step ahead of your competition and make 2014 your best year yet. It’s also the beginning of a new year so you’re probably as busy as you’ve ever been. I know how important (and hard) it is for you to find a resource you can quickly go through, at no-cost, which is also easy to understand. That’s why we created this free, concise guide. It summarizes the best lessons for sales leaders so you can quickly read through it and implement the principles immediately. This whitepaper teaches you how to:

Can you think of a few (or several) past clients that you would like to reconnect with? I know how it is, you may feel as though it's been too long to attempt to touch base, and as a result you decide that trying to reconnect is pointless. You may even dropped the ball or made a mistake with the former client, and therefore feel hesitant to re-initiate contact. I have some good news. Whether it's been six weeks, six months, or even six years, it's never too late to reach out directly to your client. In fact, it's essential to open dialogues with former clients as it provides you with valuable information as to why they may have fallen off the map. This way, you can be certain (and stop wondering) as to why you haven't heard from them, as well as gain valuable lessons from the past that can help you improve for the future.

Sales people hear it all the time: “ABC. Always be closing.” But as a manager, I’d recommend that you adopt a slightly different mantra for yourself: “ABR: Always be recruiting.”

Looking for ways to amp up the energy of your sales team? There are steps you can take to create more energy and a more motivated sales team to generate greater results than you are already achieving. 1. Create excitement around the pipeline. 2. Rally around a simple, single concept. 3. Respect for the sales team.

“Hunters” and “farmers” are passe. Today, the best sales people know how to find new clients PLUS keep the ones they already have.

With so many changes happening, including downsizing, explosive growth, new products to market, and buyers changing in such a short period of time, it’s never been a better time to close more deals. But only if you’re prepared to adapt to change while still emulating timeless approaches that work. As with most things, selling successfully is about balance.

Do you find yourself struggling when you have to present to a senior decision maker of a company? I am often asked how salespeople can make this process simpler so I have created this 7-step plan to make it really easy for you to get through a presentation with high-level managers and/or officers. 1. Prepare! You may have heard the common real estate adage; "location, location, location." In sales, we have a similar saying; "prepare, prepare, prepare." I’m sure that you don’t regard presentations to top executives to be casual and friendly conversations but, it's extremely important to give the customer the feeling that it is. Without rigorous preparation, this is no easy feat. Once you have organized your notes and slides, try practicing to yourself as you do everyday tasks. 2. Begin At The End Think of any advertisement for a product you see on television or a flyer. There's never a picture of the factory where the product is created, only the product itself. Learn to apply this idea to your business as well. Never start a presentation with an introduction to your company. The first thing prospects want to know is what you can do to solve their problems or challenges. Try to begin with your conclusion. Start by reviewing the prospect's issues, and what you can do to solve them.

Asking for a referral can be a challenging process. You might be uncomfortable asking for the referral, as well as worried about the best language to use so that you don’t sound desperate for new business.