April 15th, 2010 - Posted in Solution Provider Services by tim
By the time you’re knotting your tie for a sales appointment, the cards should be stacked in your favor. The best indicator, of course, is that the prospect agreed to the meeting, so he must perceive some value. And, you’ve been able to review all the information that came out of the lead qualification process. You know the pain points, at least at a high level, and you have a sense of the status quo within your prospect’s datacenter. You have a willing audience and all the information you need to make a sale.
So, why do so many appointments go nowhere? It’s a fair question. If everything leading up to a sales call is so clearly beneficial, it should always go well … right?
Often, the problem isn’t with the prospect – it’s with you. You aren’t asking yourself the right questions before you sit across from your client. Below, you’ll find three questions to ask yourself before your next sales appointment. Answer them, and you’ll find your efforts to be much more fruitful.
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February 9th, 2010 - Posted in Social Media Marketing, Solution Provider Services by tim
#ITsalestip 1. Meetings don’t matter: good ones do. Gauge value of oppty before scheduling
#ITsalestip 2. Think ROI: how much is each meeting worth in terms of real revenue potential?
#ITsalestip 3. Be able to answer: How did I show the prospect that the meeting is worth it for him?
#ITsalestip 4. Will you leave the meeting feeling like you made progress toward a sale?
#ITsalestip 5. Have something new & interesting to tell your prospect
#ITsalestip 6. Don’t leave w/o clear next steps
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February 9th, 2010 - Posted in Social Media Marketing by tim
“Are you free on Tuesday at 9 AM?”
This question tips the odds of getting an appointment with an IT buyer in your favor. Yes, it’s a bit specific, and there are other times that work as well. Thursdays at 2 PM are pretty good, too.
At enter:marketing, we schedule a lot of appointments for our clients. Through the demand generation and lead cultivation programs we run, we’ve learned a considerable amount about how IT buyers prefer to be engaged, the best survey questions for triggering interest and even when they want to talk.
What we’re about to show you isn’t the result of some survey: it’s live data. Real. These insights are based on the actions of IT buyers.
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