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Getting Nosy |
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As a financial advisor I have to ask people some pretty nosy questions. This is easy to do after I've developed some level of rapport and trust, but that takes time. Sometimes I find myself taking the time to develop a high level of rapport and trust with someone who then doesn't even have money to open an account with me. How do I keep from wasting my time with people who are not real prospects without putting people off by getting too nosy at the beginning? |
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The Best Time for Sales Calls |
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When is the best time to initial prospect and make appointment setting calls? I've been told to stay away from Monday mornings and Friday afternoons, as this is not a good time to be calling. What do you think? |
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Wearing Out Your Welcome |
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Is it OK to call my current customers over and over again to offer them new ideas and products? Sometimes I feel like I'm wearing out my welcome and should focus on new accounts instead. |
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Talking to Strangers |
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What is the best way to open a dialogue with a total stranger? I spend a lot of time cold calling phone to phone and face to face. What are your ideas to make these calls easier for me and the person I'm approaching? |
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Everyone Wants a Special Deal |
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I have a lot of trouble in the business I am in with people wanting 'deals'. They feel that if they are not getting a 'deal', they are not getting what the other guy (the special guy) is getting. Do I have to set up a pay structure where I'm charging more to make these deals? Is there a way around the guy who always wants a deal? Am I just not making him feel special enough already? |
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How can I grow my business if I can't make new calls? |
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I want a new territory and my manager won’t give me one. All of my prospects have 'no soliciting' signs and only see people by appointment. After I make my calls on my current accounts, I have no way to make initial contacts. How can I grow my business if I can't make new calls? |
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Your Price is Too High |
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What do you do when your product is priced 10-15% higher than your competition. My company has better service, we are more flexible on delivery and packaging of our products, and we are available to our clients 24 hours a day seven days a week. Even so, I still face the "your price is too high" objection. |
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A Brand New Idea |
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How do you start with a brand new idea in a brand new company to a brand new audience? I have a great opportunity I’m really excited about, yet it’s outside my previous background and contacts. What are my chances for success? |
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Lost Accounts |
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About a year ago, one of my major accounts decided to try another supplier for a small amount business. I guess I over-reacted, telling the account that I was upset. I felt that I had earned his loyalty; and I said some unkind things about the competitor too. The end result was that I lost all the business. Now a year has gone by and I hear from other sources in the company that the competitor is not doing the job, and there might be an opportunity to get back in the door. How should I approach my ex-client? |
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Approaching a New Prospect |
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What is the best sequence to use when approaching a new prospect? Should I mail a letter of introduction, send information on my company, call first and then mail a letter? It's all so confusing. |
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How do I get my sales team to take me seriously? |
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I'm a sales manager who was trained like you, a good salesman promoted from within to sales manager with 'go-get-em' as my training. I am having a hard time getting my sales people to take me seriously. I have asked them to give me call reports, and I get almost none back. I ask them to bring me on sales calls, and I sit in my office. I'm trying to stay on their wavelength, hanging out with them after work and socializing. What am I doing wrong? |
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Competing with the Internet |
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The Internet is making my life miserable. In the past, I could sell my customers industrial products at 35-38% margins. Now my customers, buyers at large corporations, are using the Internet to source my products for 10-15% less. I have to match prices or run the risk of losing the business. My expenses are higher than the Internet companies'. I'm spending money on lunches and golf outings, giving education and consulting for free, and now I get beat up on price as a reward. What's up? |
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Prioritizing Sales Accounts |
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Warren, I have inherited a client base of over 300 accounts in the medical field. I work for a large pharmaceutical company. I can really only service effectively my top 50, and I'm thinking about prioritizing based on last year's revenue. What do you think? |
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Maximize Your Networking Skills |
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What do you recommend to do after you've attended a network party where you've met new potential customers? |
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Facing a Competitive Threat |
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I'm facing a serious competitive threat for the first time in my territory after being dominant for over ten years. My new competitor is very aggressive, cuts prices to get the attention of my best customers, bad-mouths my company, and generally is becoming a real pain in the.Well, it's starting to affect me, and now I wonder if I can fend off the attacks. What can I do to fight back? |
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What is the best way to close a sale? |
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What is the best way to close a sale? I get a lot of people interested and then the sales cycle just drags on. What is the best way to close that you know of? |
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Taking Over a New Territory |
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I'm brand new to selling and have taken over a territory that has been under-served for over a year. I have a few customers that will deliver about half my quota. How can I get going quickly and earn the business of my customers and grow my territory 50% in one year? |
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Prioritizing Prospects |
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How do I prioritize my prospects and accounts? I am new in sales. I have some accounts that have been assigned to me. How do I prioritize and how much time do I spend with each account? |
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