“I don’t have a sale yet, but a  decision is pending”. Oh, really? In my experience, when a sales person says a deal is “pending” this usually translates to “dead on arrival”. How often are you saying this when what you really mean is “I haven’t got a clue when, how, or if the decision will be made”?

Let’s face it – your buyer has the right to “think it over”. In fact, when it comes to major purchases, I might suggest that a buyer who makes decisions on the spot might be using poor judgment by acting too hastily. I hope that doesn’t offend you.

On the other hand...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/6/29/shortening-the-decision-process-three-mistakes-that-delay.html

If you want to exceed your budget consistently and bring new business into your company, you need to be successful at prospecting, period! This is why the most successful sales professionals earn the big bucks! Sales managers hire sales people that can bring in new business, not manage existing accounts. Yet there are many ‘newbies’ that come into a new company hoping that they will be handed a gravy train account that just keeps sending in new purchase orders. Maybe that happened 20 years ago but not in this millennium.

To successfully prospect, you have to understand these three realities so that you have realistic expectations.

1. Get focused and dedicate...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/6/28/the-psychology-of-prospecting-to-read-more-sales-news.html

Some salespeople may be aggressive in their tactics, but knowing what type of personality they have should help you relate to their methods, and perhaps even result in an experience that's mutually beneficial. Below is a description of each type...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/the-way-of-the-salesperson/

If you think Twitter is a waste of time, or simply for young people, think again. A new Pew study found that 13% of online Americans now use Twitter – up 5% from November 2010. One in five U.S. adults ages 25-34 use Twitter, while 14% of users are between 35 and 44, up from 8% a half-year earlier. In addition, 25% of online African Americans and19% of online Hispanics use Twitter, compared to 9% of whites.

As this social networking site continues to grow in popularity, it’s also proving to be a useful resource for a sales team. Here are a few ways to use Twitter to make more sales:

1. Research Tool – When you have a prospect to call, do some research on Twitter first. Find out what employees and other customers are saying, so you have a better understanding of the company before making that call.

2. Keep up with Industry News – Use Twitter to learn about changes in your lead’s industry.Keep track of your lead’s competition by...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/6/16/7-ways-your-sales-team-can-use-twitter-more-effectively.html

I’m always amazed to hear people talk about master closers. It’s as if their skills are most significant at the END of the cycle. This seems to me to be rather misleading. Are we saying that it doesn’t matter how you handle the prior steps as long as you have some magic at the end?

I believe that ‘closing’ is something that happens naturally once you have successfully navigated all of the prior steps in the sales process. Think about it. If you don’t prospect well, listen well, problem solve well, and create trust well, there’s probably no way you are going to close well.

In essence, if you are masterful at understanding the value of your product or service, identifying your target market and then qualifying prospects within that scope, you should be closing easily. If we break it down into its components, you’ll see that by the time you get to the closing stage, if you’ve done everything else correctly, closing will happen naturally. You’ll come to an agreement with your prospect that...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/6/15/the-magic-of-masterful-closing-to-read-more-sales.html

Because, in the competitive sale, the prospective account has initiated an inquiry, your Influencer has a built-in reason to cooperate with your need for information. While they rarely volunteer details, they are almost always cooperative when asked for them. In fact, the opening situation – that they, by contacting you, have demonstrated interest in a discussion – provides you a gilded invitation to collect information for your initial meeting. This is a huge opportunity if it is handled properly. The key here, given that we have limited time on the phone, is to ask the right questions – in the right order – to learn as much as possible about the current state of the buyer.

Most formal RFPs provide a contact person for questions. Whether responding to an RFP or handling an incoming phone call, the request should be as follows: “to make the best use of your time, do you have a moment to answer a few questions for me?” Because of the pre-established interest of the account, the response you will get is, “sure, what would you like to know?” Once you get this response, follow this seven-question sequence to lay the foundation for your strategy.

What can you learn from others? Sometimes it's what to avoid doing.  These examples are mistakes that will cost you business. 

1.  Thinking you can do it all yourself. Selling used to be a numbers game. In the past you could spend your time smiling and dialing and that might have worked.  Today too many people are too busy to listen to a pitch. Cold calls are a low probability and only worth your time if your time isn't worth very much.  The assistance sales people need from others is good solid leads and referrals to meet new customers. 

2.  Talking too much. Some salespeople think that the best salespeople are the best talkers.  That's not true.   The best sellers are...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/7-habits-of-less-successful/