Every October I hear the same whispers: “We’ll make it up in Q4.” Then the pumpkins come out, the calendar flips, and suddenly the quiet voice becomes a scream. If your pipeline looks more haunted house than happy harvest, take a breath. The fourth quarter doesn’t...
Sales has changed. Old strategies falter and new approaches emerge. The big question is what to do about it so you can continue to grow. The dynamics of prospect relationships, buyer behavior, and information gathering have shifted fundamentally, posing a crucial...
Did you ever notice people become more serious at the beginning of September? Gone are the lazy days of summer and in front of us are four important months before year end. I call this the “Back to School Mentality.” I see it as much amongst adults as I do amongst...
If I had a dime for every business leader who says, “When we are in front of the right prospects we close sales most of the time, we just need to get in front of more prospects!” I would be a VERY wealthy woman. Why hold off making changes or trying something new that...
Finding time for new business development can be difficult. There’s always something else that seems to be more important. I’ve found that people who don’t carve out time for this find themselves with an empty pipeline down the road. Here are 10 tips for fitting new...
Over the last year I’ve heard several stories about lost sales opportunities. Many occurred as a direct result of post-conference oversights that could have been avoided. It happens too often. Join me by shaking your head as you read the story below. Then, vow to...
Many make personal resolutions to ring in the New Year. But have you considered making a professional resolution as well? Each year business leaders and upper management set annual goals that often include things like 'grow top-line revenue' or 'meet more prospects'...
One of the limitations of LinkedIn introductions is that you are at the mercy of the person doing the introducing. You have no control over how quickly your contact introduces you and you have no control over when you receive a response. To avoid what can feel like...
Make the most of your summer by seizing new business opportunities while your competition plays miniature golf! While it’s true that most people do vacation in August, I don’t know anyone who goes away for 4 weeks straight! What does this mean for you? It means people...
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...
Most business leaders and sellers are good at setting next steps at the end of a prospect meeting. They are also fairly good at executing the follow up, especially if there is an immediate need. Where too many fail miserably is in effectively nurturing prospect...
The "Assume Close" strategy when opening doors has proven exceptionally successful, especially when working on securing meetings with difficult to reach corporate decision makers. Most recently, one of our Door Openers® used it and booked a meeting with a high level...