SALES PRO INSIDER BLOG
Calling All Heroes
Calling All Heroes With the success of the Marvel movies this year, it seems heroes are “in” – I suppose they weren’t ever really out…but there is heightened excitement around superheroes! In your role as an “expert” – whether as a financial advisor, an accountant, an attorney, a lender, an industrial supply salesperson, or a software solutions...
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“Sales” Isn’t a Dirty Word
“Sales” Is Not a Dirty Word I had a very strict Catholic mother and any swear word uttered by me or one of my 5 siblings was quickly followed by the taste of a bar of soap she put in our mouth. I share this because I know dirty words are bad…and lead to distasteful consequences. But the word “sales” is not one of those words! Perceptions about...
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How Many Follow-Ups Does It Really Take?
How Many Follow-Ups Does It Really Take? At the risk of aging myself, there used to be a commercial for Tootsie Pop suckers in which a young child asks the wise owl, “How many licks does it to take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” It was a set up to the premise that no one really ever knew because the lollipop was soo good people “bit”...
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Why You Must Date Your COIs to Earn Referrals
Why You Must Date Your COIs to Earn Referrals Have you heard of the show Married at First Sight? The premise is that “experts” set up arranged marriages and the couples meet at the altar. Then for 8 weeks they must figure out whether they want to build a life with this person or get a divorce. And only 6 of 25 couples have remained together for...
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Look Under That Rock to Find COIs and Referrals
Look Under That Rock to Find COIs and Referrals In your search for viable leads or prospects, you’ve probably heard this wise advice: “Build relationships with centers of influence – or COIs to gain a big referral source.” And yet in my 20+ years of working with financial advisors, I hear more disappointment in the results of these efforts than...
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Sales Not Up to Snuff? Is the Problem Lead Gen or Lead Conversion?
Wonder why your sales aren’t up to snuff? Is the problem your lead generation (not having enough leads) or lead conversion (not converting those leads to paid clients)? It’s an age-old business question like the chicken and the egg (which did come first?). The question then becomes: If my firm isn’t growing as desired, where should I...
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The Conversation Opener That Closes Sales
The Conversation Opener That Closes Sales Did you know that the start of your sales conversation has a huge impact on the end of your conversation? Let me illustrate with this example. Last week, I was anxiously awaiting a two-week in the works sales appointment with a service provider for my business. It’s a service I needed. I was excited. He...
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It’s Not Small Talk; It’s Smart Talk
For two weeks I looked forward to a sales appointment. An appointment where I was the buyer, not the provider. My company desperately needed the service being offered and I had high hopes I was going to get a solution to a nagging issue.Imagine my surprise then when Mark showed up at my office, sat at my table, opened his portfolio and said,...
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Why is Getting New Clients So Hard? 3 Hidden Traps You Don’t Know You’ve Fallen Into
How did getting new clients get so hard?When you started it was easier: You had people to talk with and maybe even some existing client relationships that followed you, but now you aren’t getting the “Yeses” you used to.What happened? Did you get bad at selling? Do you need to change your pricing? Is your business model all wrong?If you’ve asked...
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A Simple Approach to Small Biz Lead Gen And the 3 Barriers to Doing What Works
Ready to grow your business? Who isn’t? The problem is that it can be frustrating, confusing, and hard! So, let’s simplify it. Generate more leads and then convert them. Of course, doing this isn’t easy. Lead gen and lead conversion both need effort, time, confidence, resources, and skill. While my focus is on equipping people to increase their...
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