It was 4pm on a Thursday and I was sitting in my car outside Starbucks. It had been one of those days. You’ve probably had one like this too. Phone call followed by phone call followed by meetings and then more phone calls. I had one more call to go. One call standing...
Fix the Right Sales Problem
For many, fourth quarter can be a time to reflect on decisions made over the last year. What worked, what didn’t? What to continue doing to meet your goals and what to stop doing? As you may be embarking on this kind of reflection as well, I thought it would be...
When Prospects Don’t Call You Back
It can be very frustrating when prospects don't call back!Here are a few of the strategies we use which work. We email the decision maker a content rich, compelling (short) email on a Sunday night. Our email becomes one of the first, if not the first, read on Monday...
When to Give Up on a Prospect
When decision makers say, “No thank you," should you keep trying or cut your losses? My experience is that as long as the prospect is someone whom your research indicates is an “A” level prospect there is no reason to give up, unless you receive new information that...
When Prospects Cancel Meetings: What to do and How to Avoid it
A seminar attendee once said, “If a prospect cancels a meeting, it obviously means the prospect is not interested. Further, if the meeting is rescheduled and the prospect cancels again, the prospect is not only uninterested, but also rude and unworthy of my...
Getting the Most from Prospect Meetings
It's not easy to get a meeting with a decision maker. So when you have one, it had better go well! Have you ever finished a meeting and wished you achieved a better outcome, gotten further into the discussion or secured better next steps? We call this "the valuable...
Landing (and keeping) the 2nd Meeting!
After working hard to find the right prospect and having a great first meeting, you want to be sure the second meeting happens (and in the shortest timeframe possible)! Below are our Door Openers’ best practices for keeping the conversation moving. 1. Date & Time....
When You Can’t Get the Sale to Close
Have you ever had a great initial prospect meeting, followed up diligently and then despite your best efforts, can’t get the sale to close? It’s a frustrating part of sales and it happens to almost everyone. Here are some tips to help you keep the sale moving. Ask...
IT’S NOT OVER! A Comeback Story
Next month, my 22 year old daughter will begin her first real job working for the company which initially turned her down. How did she get the job, despite the initial rejection? Here’s her story. A month before graduation from University of Maryland, Jamie went...
What to Do When You Lost the Sale
Just because you received the news that you didn’t get the sale doesn’t mean there still isn’t an opportunity for you. By taking the right actions, you could change your prospect's mind this time or set yourself up to win the next time. Here’s how to do it:...
Prospects are People, Too!
What's another word for a decision maker in a sales situation? It is a prospect, a lead or a potential client, etc. These are all names we use to describe those we want to buy from us. However, something is missing from these words. It’s the human element. We need to...
What else? Who else? What’s bigger than that?
Maximizing relationships means you find ways to get new dollars from existing clients. Generally speaking, you want to work to increase your share of sale with your clients that may need more from you. You want to purposefully work toward getting a bigger “piece of...