Some people become irate over prospecting calls on their cell phone. How dare someone call this very special o-so-private number! In part one I explained why that’s kinda silly. This article covers how to handle it. But first let’s deal with the risk of calling cell numbers. The Risk in Calling Cell Phones Part of what [...]
The most common way people try to warm calls up is by mailing or emailing first. This common effort comes with common errors. This article covers the errors, how to avoid them, and how to successfully blend letters/emails with calling. This really has to begin with unrealistic expectations for what letters or emails can do to [...]
Reports of phone phobia among younger people are still numerous. Is this scourge affecting 'Millennials' different from what ails older people? The answer is yes and no. The no part is that the end result is the same: not making calls, or being less successful with calling. However, the reasons behind fear of phone are indeed [...]
Ah, communication! We want to communicate clearly and effectively...but we can inadvertently send the wrong message. Here are common words and phrases that can trip us up. I'll start with "just" and "actually" because using them purposely does not cause problems -- using them as a verbal habit does. "Just" We use the word "just" to [...]
It’s mid-March, mid-June, mid-September, or worst of all: late November. Your sales numbers are not where you want them to be. Hot prospects have cooled off. Your manager is pushing like mad. You feel like your brain and confidence are crawling through thick mud. That, my friends, is supposedly a choke, to which I say baloney! [...]
Back when I was a sales pup, we reps and our managers used an equation to set expectations for performance (now known as "metrics"). The equation started at the top of the proverbial funnel with calling, flowed through several points—response, appointments, qualifying and closing—down to the small end of the funnel and new business. We used [...]
