A Small Lesson Learned From Email Marketers
Written by Jan Visser on February 27, 2008
You don’t have to be an email marketeer to care about whether someone opens and reads your email and clicks on the link you send him.
Much has been written about the importance of being a valuable resource to our clients and prospects, as opposed to just peddling your product or service.
So now and then, you send your prospect a link to an industry report you found that could be of value to his business, or simply an article you read in the newspaper.
You’re trying your best to become a trusted and value-added resource, someone who does more than just peddling a product.
But wouldn’t it be nice to know whether your prospect actually clicked the link and read the piece online? Sure would be a good sign that what you’re sending is of interest to him - and it could speak volumes about how engaged your prospect is with you as well.
Listen to Your Customer. Don’t Pre-Judge.
Written by Jan Visser on February 26, 2008
I’ve met too many sales folks who see a sales call as the platform to convince a prospect to see it their way. That listening stuff does seem to take up an awful lot of selling time, doesn’t it? Here’s a tip from Kevin Stirtz.
Free Contact Management Software - Keepm
Written by Jan Visser on February 26, 2008
Last week, free online contact manager Keepm.com finally announced mass import from Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail and LinkedIn.
Keepm.com had been on our radar for a while because we found it to be one of the few decent free online contact managers and this upgrade gave us a good reason to write about it.
Keepm.com is a simple online contact manager. No tasks, no calendar, no opportunity tracking, no file uploads, no custom fields or built-in mass-mailer application like we saw in other online contact managers we reviewed.
It’s intended as a simple sales tool to put your contacts online and we believe it does that well.
More on Topgrading
Written by Brandon Hull on February 25, 2008
Following up our mention of the Topgrading for Sales book due out this summer, Mike points us to an interview with author Brad Smart. Good audio to download to your iPod.
How to Talk to Yourself
Written by Brandon Hull on February 25, 2008
I found a nice article on what to say when you talk to yourself, by Tessa Stowe. Do you talk to yourself prior to sales calls?
Don’t Let Your Laptop Stress You Out
Written by Brandon Hull on February 25, 2008
My computer desktop has long been a stress inducer. Recently I counted 74 shortcut links to files and applications on it. Every time I fired up that screen, it evoked a nearly audible sigh. Sales as a profession is difficult enough, requiring the highest level of focus and discipline. All the more reason why you’ve got to have the rest of your house in order.
As of three days ago, my desktop looks like the image to the left (click it to see it full-size). Tell me that new desktop doesn’t soothe the heck right out of you. Two things: my Recycle Bin and a Daily Folder where I temporarily save files. It’s the little things, people.
On a side note, I also installed a freeware application that allows me to get two-click access to frequently-used information — passwords, phone numbers, quick brainstorms, notes from unexpected phone calls, etc., on that super clean desktop I’m now so proud of. Shift-Control-S and they magically appear.
Type Faster Emails in Windows
Written by Brandon Hull on February 25, 2008
We recently suggested a way to type emails faster on your Blackberry. You can do this in any Windows program just as easily. Take a look at Texter.
Stop Obsessing Over The Decision Maker
Written by Jan Visser on February 22, 2008
Stop obsessing over the decision maker and start focusing on the decision-making process. Decisions are increasingly made involving multiple people and teams and you should adjust. A reminder by Aaron Ross.
Do You Whine or Blame Others? Read This Book!
Written by Jan Visser on February 22, 2008
We reviewed QBQ, John Miller’s book on personal accountability before and here’s more on this great read. Brian Oates over at Daxle.net interviewed John Miller and you can download it for free - great material for your iPod!
How to Organize a Sales Blitz
Written by Brandon Hull on February 21, 2008
Despite the growing disdain for walk-in-the-door cold calling, there are plenty of high activity sales companies (even industries) that conduct sales blitzes to generate a wave of fresh leads for their new business developers.
When my expectations are reasonable, I’ve had excellent results with sales blitzes when working in the first aid and safety service business and in the uniform industry. These are both high-activity industries.
Now, you can fast forward to our free registration to get access to a great form you can use to collect leads, or you can read on for some great best practices to make them successful. Read the full post
