(I usually stay close to home talking sales, but was “Asked to Answer” this question on Quora about marketing, so here goes…) Live by the mantra “Add value, add value, add value.” Provide new perspectives on an industry challenge or problem. If you’re a new entrant to the industry (i.e. engineer tackling HR software), that’s all […]
VIEW POSTQuestions, questions, questions. Everyone will tell you that sales conversations are a series of questions. You’re told to ask open-ended questions and to ask leading questions and to ask questions that follow prescribed formulas like as SPIN. You’re told that if the prospect begins asking questions then that’s a buying signal. But is it really? […]
VIEW POSTBefore you present your products or hop on a demo, start the sales conversation with questions about the client’s situation and process. Only by understanding this process first can you effectively present your solution. Looking for your sales edge? Check out: “Startup Selling: How to sell if you really, really have to and don’t know how“ […]
VIEW POST“Your such-and-such feature is really a differentiator.” Be careful here – clarify what your prospect means ASAP! Does she mean that your product is has something “really cool” or it is a critical function that will ultimately influence her to buy your product? It might be different but if it isn’t critical to their decision, […]
VIEW POSTAsking your sales team – “Where are we in the sales process?” is different than “What is the probability that this sale will close?” Set up a field in your CRM that allows your sales team to subjectively enter a “win probability” that is different from “stage of the sale.” The sales stages simply show […]
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