This is a Guest post by Art Sobzcak.

Guess who says the following:

“Hi, I’m just calling to check in with you.

a. Parolees out on probation, checking in with their probation officer.

b. Sales reps who call customers or prospects and can’t come up with anything more creative or interesting to say.

c. Teen-aged girls, every two hours on the weekend, calling their parents.

d. All of the above.

The answer of course, is “d.” What we will concern ourselves with is “b”, the Probation Officer call.

These calls are most often placed by reps who call regular customers on a regular basis, or when placing follow-up calls to those lukewarm prospects.

And the result usually is not very good.

No wonder. There’s nothing of interest or of value there for the listener. Are they supposed to get excited simply because you called to check in with them?

What to do? Have a reason for calling. Have something of interest. Search your notes from previous calls and make that the reason for this call. For example,

“Stacy, it’s Ken Mackeral with Fish Supply. I’m following up on our last conversation from January. At the time you mentioned that you were going to be expanding your catfish operation in May, and I wanted to share some information about what another customer of mine did to help keep his expansion costs low and increase his capacity.”

Use Your Database

Here’s a specific way to help you come up with great reasons to call, and call the right people.

Let’s look at a scenario using something that every company experiences: changes.

For example, has your personal or business bank changed names and/or ownership within the past couple of years? A friend told me his has changed. Three times. One astute bank sales rep who has been pursuing him manages to contact him after each change while the effects are fresh in his mind. Although he hasn’t moved yet, the timely calls combined with the annoyance of the changes are beginning to wear down his resistance.

Let’s look at the sales ideas and strategy at work here … the ones you can use too for a variety of situations.

1. Prospects can be particularly vulnerable after their existing vendor is acquired, merged, or undergoes some other type of change.

2. Taking advantage of it requires you to track who a prospect uses, and be able to sort your database accordingly, just like the rep mentioned above probably did.

Most contact management and CRM programs allow you to customize fields and sort accordingly. Consider assigning a field for “Current Vendor.” Then it’s a breeze to do a quick sort of all the prospects who have the competitor’s name in the field, and plan your next contact.

When calling these prospects, naturally you don’t phone with an attitude of, “So I see your vendor was just acquired. I bet things are a mess there!”

Instead, treat the call just like you would a normal follow-up. But, be prepared to ask questions designed to get them to tell you the problems and pains they might be experiencing as a result of the change.

For example,

“Mike, you’re still with AB Vendor, right? I see. With the recent acquisition, some of my other customers have noticed some changes in the promptness of getting orders delivered. If that is an issue for you, we have some options that might be worth taking a look at. What has been your experience?”

You could use this technique with any number of changes or events that customers or prospects might have interest in, that could be a great reason for calling if that situation occurred.

For example, let’s say a prospect told you that if you ever came out with a left-handed adapter for your product, they would get them in minute. You would then put LHA, or “Left-handed adapter” in your notes, and when your company introduced one, you’d simply do a sort on that code or term and have a great list to call, with a great reason for calling.

The only reason to make the Probation Officer call, (unless you actually have one) is a lack of creativity or work. Use these ideas and you’ll go further with these prospects and customers.

Art Sobczak has helped sales pros say the right things by phone for over 27 years.  Get a free ebook of tips at http://www.BusinessByPhone.com, and see more free sales and prospecting tips, hear recorded calls, and watch videos at http://www.TelesalesBlog.com

This is a Guest Post by Mark Hunter.

I’m not talking about the dial tone. I’m talking about the tone of voice your prospect is using. More specifically, I’m talking about what to do when you hear a change in their tone of voice.  We communicate with our voice, but it goes way beyond just the words we say and the volume with which we speak.  The real telling signs are in the tone of the voice, particularly pitch.

Listen carefully to the next person with whom you talk, and you’ll detect slight variations in the tone. What you are listening for is when the tone or pitch goes up and when it goes down. When this happens – when there has been a change – the person to whom you are listening is reaching a conclusion of some type.  Typically, a customer’s tone/pitch will go up slightly when they become excited or enthused, and it will go down when they’re resigned or view something negatively. Often, this change of tone is also accompanied by a change in the speed with which they speak. An increase in the words per minute signals excitement and a slow down signals calmness.

The trick with all of this is to know how to use it to your advantage. A customer’s change in tone, pitch or rate of speech is not as important as how you respond to it.  When a customer’s pitch/tone goes up, you should immediately ask them a question that gets them to build on what is making them excited. Then, immediately follow with a question to close the sale.  If, on the other hand, the customer’s pitch goes down, you should ask them a question that pertains to the biggest need they’ve expressed to date. If they have not expressed any need to you thus far, then ask them a question that would draw out what you believe is the biggest need or pain they’re facing.   Follow that question with another question that gets them to build even more on what they just told you. The key is to draw out as much as possible the need they’re facing. In doing so, you’ll be in a better position to close the sale.

Another key way you can use the tone/pitch is to help validate what the other person has just told you.  It’s very easy for a person to say something that is not the truth from a vocabulary standpoint. However, it is incredibly difficult to mask their tone/pitch.  Again, this can be a clear sign when someone is talking to you as to whether or not what they’re telling you is factual or merely something to help end the call.

This is the reason I tell anyone who is spending any degree of time on the phone to use a headset that covers both ears. Using an ordinary phone will not give you the listening advantage you need to discern the slight differences in a person’s voice. These slight differences are exactly what can help you dramatically distinguish what the customer is really saying. Ultimately, you will be better equipped to close more sales.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. He is a consultative selling expert, specializing in custom-tailored sales programs. You can read his blog at http://thesaleshunter.com/blog.

This is a Guest post by Jill Konrath of Selling To Big Companies.

The road to sales success is sprinkled with gone opportunities, awkward moments and foolish mistakes. For me, the chief difference between superb sellers and regular ones is their ability to turn these tragedies into wonderful opportunities.

As excruciating as it might be, excellent salespeople re-examine their errors to determine how they can prevent the same results in the future. Wounded but not defeated, they slowly discover what it requires to be successful.

I can relate because I have been there. I’ve had my own share of screw ups. And just the other day, some of my major mistakes came rushing back to me as I was off to conduct a training program for a local printing company.

When I exited the highway onto Como Avenue, I was instantly brought back to my days as a Xerox sales trainee when I was covering the 55414 zip code. It’s where I learned a lot of very useful lessons that are still inculcated in my mind today.

Lesson 1: How to Get Unstuck

When I finished my Xerox training program, I was assigned to follow Jim Farrell for numerous weeks to learn a lot of things. Then the day came when I was on my own.

I arrived at the office of Quality Products where I first worked. For some reason, I couldn’t get out of the car. I was frightened and thought that my sales career was done before it began.

After half an hour of being paralyzed in my car, a song from the movie, Sound of Music, popped into my head: “I have confidence.”

I began singing to myself, silently in the beginning, then louder and louder. I was mainly captivated with the refrain, “I have confidence in confidence alone, and as you can see, I have confidence in me.”

I didn’t really believe the words but they lifted me from my “stuckness.” I opened my cold call plan and practiced my opening statements again and again.

I then got out of the car and went inside the office. At the end of the day, I made 20 cold calls and found a couple of potential clients.

Over the years, I’ve encountered a lot of difficult situations that were hard to manage because I didn’t have enough knowledge and was inexperienced. I realized that it is impossible to know everything before you start. I also learned that in order to find answers, one should move and not be stagnant.

Lesson 2: How to Get to Higher Level Decision Makers

Trussbilt was one of the prospects I came across with while cold-calling. The company has been gone for a couple of years. It was replaced by the printing company where I was doing the training. The déjà vu that I felt when I went inside their offices was obvious.

At that time, I was working with a very expressive woman named Tinsey, who told me that she was the one in charge of the copier decision. Right after our meeting, I read a book that said that salespeople should work only with the top dogs and not their underlings.

My contact was an administrative assistant. I realized I had to remedy the situation at once. I got Mr. Big on the phone and set up a time to meet. Then I prepared well to make sure that I did a wonderful job.

Sadly, I never had the opportunity to take advantage of this opening. Tinsey came to the lobby to accompany her boss’s guest to his office. When she saw me, she demanded to know why I was there.

I told her “I’m here to see Mr. Big.” I was not confident if the approach I had taken was correct. Tinsey then yelled at me like I have never been yelled at before.

I was shocked, scared and became light-headed. I then fainted in the middle of the lobby.

I never did business with Tinsey or Trussbilt. But I did learn that when you are working with someone, it’s never proper to go around them without them knowing. They will get angry. It’s a normal human reaction.

Today, to make sure that I get to work with whomever I want in an account, I always tell this to potential clients: “When I’m working with clients, I need to talk with the VP of Sales, Regional Sales or Marketing Directors.” This avoids problems that can spoil your sales efforts.

Lesson 3: How to Cut the Crap and Net it Out

The Kaplan Company was just down the street and around the corner from Trussbilt. When I walked inside, there were about 30 seats filled with women who were preoccupied with order entry and handling customer service issues.

I informed the Front Desk Personnel that I wanted to talk to the person who made copier decisions. After checking with the boss, she accompanied me into his office. He told me to sit down and said that I had 5 minutes to talk.

“If you’re busy, I’ll go.” I said, trying to be courteous.

He said, “Nope. You have 5 minutes to tell me why I should buy your product. Your 5 minutes starts now.”

I mumbled, trying really hard to engage him. I told him that I needed more time to explain but he wasn’t interested. After 5 minutes, he stood up and told me, “Your time is up. You may leave now.”

That annoyed me. I told him he was impolite and obnoxious. Then I stormed out of his office and shouted, “I’ll never sell you a Xerox machine. You don’t deserve to do business with Xerox.”

I know it’s is difficult to imagine, but I really did lose my patience. And I’m pretty sure he never wanted to work with Xerox again. But he had a point. I couldn’t state clearly and concisely why he should hear me out.

I wanted to establish a connection and warm up the call. That made me feel better. He was a preoccupied person who chose his time judiciously. I didn’t respect his needs. After that cold-calling tragedy, I learned to net it out. That lesson is even more important today than it was years ago.

The School of Hard Knocks can be very cruel. If you’re making sales calls, you know how difficult it can be. Every time you’re knocked down, you have to make a choice about how to respond. Are you getting up again? Will you learn from the experience?

The most difficult thing in the world is to look at your own involvement in the situation, yet that’s where the maximum growth is for you and ultimately, the key to your long-term sales success.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She’s a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings, kick-off events and professional conferences. For timely and provocative sales advice, visit www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com.

The following is a Guest post by Mike Brooks, AKA Mr. Inside Sales.

One of the most applied and long-standing cover-ups in the book is the, “I need to think about it” objection. A lot of salespeople struggle with this because they think that the potential client isn’t saying no, and so they don’t know how to react to it.

Unfortunately, what many of you have found out is that your prospect actually is saying no – they’re just saying it in a way that makes it difficult for you to handle it. Well that will end for you today. By using the scripts below, you’ll see if your prospect really does need to think about it, or if he/she is blowing you off. Believe me, you want to know now so you can save yourself weeks of chasing and begging a deal that will never close.

The following scripts were taken from my Brand New Book of Phone Scripts due out in about 6 weeks. These are seven out of ten in the book (there are 20+ NEW scripts on how to handle the money objection alone! You’ll want to pick up a copy as soon as it’s released, so stand by…)

In the meantime, enjoy these and send me an email and let me know how they work for you!!

Response #1:

“_________, whenever I tell someone I need to think about it, I usually mean one of three things: 1 – I’m not going to be a deal for whatever reason and I just want to get them off the phone, 2 – I kind of like the idea but I’m going to have to find the money or talk to my partner, or something else is holding me back, and 3 – I really like the idea and I just have to move something around before I say yes.

Be honest with me; which one of those things is it for you right now?”

Response #2:

“__________, I may have given you too much information on the warranty (or pick another part of your product or service here), is that what you need to think about?”

(Now use your mute button and let them tell you what they are going to really think about)

Response #3:

“You know _________, if this isn’t for you, I’d rather have a no right now

- believe me, you won’t hurt my feelings. Is that where you’re leaning right now?”

(It is always better to get this objection out of them early.)

Response #4:

“__________, let’s face it – you’ve already been thinking about this for a long time. You know you have to make a change or nothing else will change with (your operating system, your results, etc.). Thinking about it more won’t fix things for you – only making a decision will. You like this; you’ve already told me it would work for you. So let’s do this – go ahead and put me/this solution to work for you now and if you change your mind later you will still get the benefit that you’ve acknowledged you need.

Here’s what we need to do to get you started…”

Response #5:

“__________, the only thing more costly than making a bad decision is not making one at all. If you don’t change things then things won’t get better for you. Now, you’ve already admitted that this has the best chance to make a positive impact in your production, right?

Then do what my other clients do and put me and my company to work for you. Once you see the positive results we both know are possible here, you’ll be back to expand our coverage for you. And that’s going to be a win/win for us both, isn’t it?

Then here’s what we need to do…”

Response #6:

“___________, since we both agree this has a great chance to work for you, let me do this. While we’re on the phone right now, I’m going to email you three customer testimonials – companies just like yours who were hesitant as well – and when you read about how successful they were with us, I’ll put together an introductory offer that you won’t be able to pass up. Once you see for yourself how this works, then we can talk about further involvement, is that fair?”

Response #7:

“__________, what I’m hearing from you is essentially a no – and that’s alright. As a sales rep, I hear that all the time and it doesn’t bother me. It just means I haven’t yet explained the value proposition right.

Tell me, what would it take to convince you that this would be a good idea to move forward with – and please be honest with me.”

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.  If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

This is a Guest post by Jill Konrath of Selling To Big Companies.

What are the things that you can do when your potential clients disappear into “the black hole?” When you don’t know the reason why you haven’t heard from them, determining how to respond can be a problem, especially since you don’t want to be annoying.

Here are some methods that you can use in dealing with “the black hole:”

● Persevere.

Keep in mind that clients expect you to keep in touch all the time. It usually takes 8-10 contacts before you can get in contact with them again. Don’t be terrified. This is completely normal in business nowadays.

● Value each connection.

Don’t just say, “Hi, Alex. Just getting back to you as I promised about your _______ decision. If you have questions, just let me know.”

Instead, say this: “Alex, based on our meeting last week, I know how vital it is for you to shorten your sales cycle. There’s a white paper on our website that focuses on this. I’ll email you the link in a while.”

● Have a sense of humor.

Inject some humor on your communication. Leave a funny message such as, “Alex, I know you’re extremely busy. But I also know that your sales cycle is of great importance to you. That’s why I keep bugging you. I am looking forward to reconnect with you at last,” after 4-5 contacts with the prospect.

● Use different media.

Combine different approaches. Combine voice calls with voicemails, emails, mailings, invitations to events, and articles in the mail. Ensure that each contact informs and educates.

● Establish different modes of entry.

Recognize and cultivate several relationships concurrently. Don’t just let one person be your total gateway to a company. And reference others you are speaking with in your messages or emails, when appropriate.

● Re-assess your initial connection.

How can you double their urgency? How can you find out if you are just column fodder? How can you link your offering more into their business priorities? Too many a time, salespeople focus on product or service information when speaking with prospects. Instead, concentrate on significant business results and the difference that you can make.

● Prepare for your next action.

Don’t leave a meeting without a homework assignment for the salesperson and the prospect and a scheduled definite follow-up appointment. If they’re not cooperative and are reluctant to do this, it is a sign that something might be wrong. Dig deep into this and explore their need and urgency better.

● Let them off the hook.

Email them saying that you thought that they were engrossed with the offer, but maybe you got the wrong idea about the situation because you haven’t heard back from them in a couple of weeks. Believe it or not, this approach often receives a reply and an explanation from a potential client who is feeling guilty about not reconnecting.

● Lessen your contact frequency.

If you contacted them 10 times already, and still you didn’t get a respond, lessen your contact with them. A quarterly schedule might be more suitable. Or, you can reconnect at a more fitting and proper time with the client.

By using one or more of these methods, it is highly likely for you to reconnect with a prospect who has disappeared into “the black hole.” These strategies may not work all the time, but these often get the job done. And if you have repeatedly given value and concentrated on the impact your offering will bring, they will likely be prepared to apply your solution yesterday.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She’s a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings, kick-off events and professional conferences. For timely and provocative sales advice, visit www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com.

This is a Guest post by Art Sobzcak.

When I review opening statements for seminar attendees, clients at in-house training sessions, or for buyers of my Opening Statement Teleseminar on CD, I hear lots of openings that need assistance. Most of them, actually. And don’t even get me started about the openings that I hear when sales reps call me to sell. Many of these openings are destined to create resistance.

I am very picky about openings. That’s because we have so little time to create interest. Yet, most openings flat out elicit resistance, or don’t move towards interest fast enough, therefore giving the listener time to let the resistance build.

And the little things can do it. A couple of words here or there. Perhaps a question that doesn’t belong…too many unnecessary words that ramble like a congressman on C-SPAN late at night.

Sad part is, some of the things I hear are actually taught by sales “gurus” in seminars, books, tapes, e-books …whatever. I have to wonder if some of these experts have ever actually been on the phone.

I’ve decided to not be shy about dispelling some of the myths and bad suggestions being perpetuated out there—things that are causing salespeople to run into brick walls. I’ve been a bit hesitant to focus on this stuff too much, since occasionally I’ll get an email saying, “Don’t write about negative things. Don’t tell us about what to avoid. Tell us what to do.”

Well, I feel that one of the best ways to improve is to first cut out the mistakes. Let’s take this one: Finally getting a decision maker on the phone and then starting a prospecting call with,

“Hi, I’m Pat Seller with ABC Company. Are you the person there who would handle the decisions regarding your____?” Or, “…and I understand you are the person there who…”

I can hear the reactions now from some readers: “So what’s wrong with that?”

Here’s what’s wrong: You might as well start off the call with,

“I’m selling something. Are you the person I should be pitching it to?”

And again, I know that most of you see the problem with that, but yet someone might still be asking,
OK, we ARE trying to sell something and we want to be sure that this is the person we should be talking to, right?”

Right. But that IS NOT the way to do it. Here’s why:

• people would rather not talk to salespeople they don’t know. It’s natural, like the way we typically avoid the salespeople in retail stores who stalk after us and ask, “May I help you?” People like to buy, but don’t want to be sold. This announces your sales intentions, triggering the defensive posture.

• you have about five seconds to move a person into a positive, receptive frame of mind on a prospecting call. If you’re not doing that, they’re creeping into a negative frame of mind, moving into the mode of “How do I get rid of this salesperson?” Again the question about  “Are you the person…?” solidifies that before you have even begun to create interest.

• you should already KNOW that they are the decision maker for what you sell, BEFORE you ever hear their voice. That comes with good preparation and asking questions of other people within the organization. Even if you don’t know for sure, after delivering your opening—without this question— if you’re not in the right spot, they’ll let you know. And if you are in the right place, you haven’t jeopardized the success of what you want to accomplish: getting them into a positive frame of mind, and moving them to the questions.

OK, so what should you do? When the decision maker answers, go directly into your opening:

“Hi Pat, I’m ___with _____. We work with ____,  helping them ___. I understand that you’re now in the process of ____, and there’s a possibility we may have an option that could help you to ____. I’d like to ask a few questions to see if we should talk further.”

That’s very generic, and I always suggest that you tailor and customize your opening with information you collect before the call, and on the phone by speaking with others in their company so that you touch on results they would have interest in. And you can see that after that opening example, if you indeed were not in the right spot, they’d let you know.

Plus, if you still want to ask, “Am I in the right spot for what I just explained?”, you could do it after you’ve piqued their curiosity, since you’ve presented a possible benefit.

Sure, we need to find out if they are a decision maker. We just do not ask THEM in the opening.

Art Sobczak has helped sales pros say the right things by phone for over 27 years.  Get a free ebook of tips at http://www.BusinessByPhone.com, and see more free sales and prospecting tips, hear recorded calls, and watch videos at http://www.TelesalesBlog.com

This is a Guest post by Jill Konrath of Selling To Big Companies.

Doesn’t it bug you when potential clients stop returning your call? It’s especially difficult when they have been showing interest in moving forward with you just a few weeks before.

In the beginning, you assume that their lack of receptiveness is a condition that will immediately self-correct. But after constant unsuccessful efforts to connect, you begin to question your own sanity.

As a salesperson, it is vital to determine why this is happening prior to doing something. Based from experience, the following are the common reasons why prospects disappear into “the black hole.”

1. They’re pre-occupied with other things.

No doubt this is the most common reason. In all companies today, people are too busy with appointments and tasks, and barely have enough time to accomplish everything.

2. Change of priorities.

This can happen suddenly. A change in market conditions, poor third quarter sales, and new management can influence people in changing their priorities. When something like this happens, it is impossible to regain your momentum in a short period of time.

3. Lack of importance.

Salespeople often misunderstand a potential client’s interest level with a need to take action today. And because of this, they tend to divulge all the amazing details about their offering instead of establishing a business case for instant change.

4. Column fodder.

Sometimes, providing comparative bids/ pricing to potential clients can justify their decision to go with another company.

5. The prospects feel they know everything.

When clients feel that they have everything they need, all the details, information, and facts, they won’t be interested in speaking with you anymore.

Different causes call for different measures. Prevention is better than cure. You can prevent some of these causes by doing things differently in your customer interactions.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She’s a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings, kick-off events and professional conferences. For timely and provocative sales advice, visit www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com.

This is a Guest Post by Mark Hunter.

When is the best time to make a phone call?  We’re not talking about time of day or time during the week.  While those are important to dissect, I want to touch upon something that is of greater importance when thinking of timing.  And too often many salespeople overlook it.

The best time to make a phone call to your customer or prospect?  The closest as possible to when he or she is facing a need or experiencing a pain. That is the best time to call. Your job as a salesperson is to match the benefits of your product or service with the needs and pains of your customer or prospect.  Your customer doesn’t care about features – he or she cares about what those features are going to do for them.  So the more clearly you can make your presence known when the customer is experiencing pain or need, the greater likelihood he or she is going to listen (and buy!).

“But how do I know when the customer is in need or pain?” you may wonder.  You have to do your homework.  You have to know as much as possible about your customer. You will then be able to discern what information is relevant to determining where your product fits into their life or their business (if you are in B-2-B sales).  Plain and simple, homework is hard work.  Mediocre salespeople don’t want to do it (or if they do it, they do it at bare minimum levels).

You’re not a mediocre salesperson, so don’t shortcut the pathway to better sales and better customers.  Whatever system you have in place to compile info about your customers, make sure you are regularly updating it and referring to it.  That way, you will become adept at timing your calls closely to when your customer is in need or pain.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. He is a consultative selling expert, specializing in custom-tailored sales programs. You can read his blog at http://thesaleshunter.com/blog.

This is a Guest Post by Mark Hunter.

Never view any two calls in the same way.  Instead, have different styles depending on the type of customer you’re calling and the outcome you expect to achieve.  Top performing salespeople will have a distinct calling strategy for each type of person they call.  The best way to do this is to break your customer list down into segments based on their size, their potential, and, if you know, the contact’s personality and approach to decision making.

Using the Inquisitive Approach

This is an excellent approach to use when dealing with a small customer and especially when contacting the person who owns the business.  The Inquisitive Approach is based on the strength of the question you’re asking.  It needs to create interest and a sense of ego-satisfaction with the small business person / owner.

Using the Assumptive Approach

If you use the Inquisitive Approach with large customers, you will be seen as somebody who hasn’t taken the time to research and appreciate the size of the customer you’re calling.

Big customers want to be treated as big customers, and they only like to do business with others who they believe are equally big. Big customers find safety in talking to their peers (others who understand how big companies work).

Your opening needs to be statement-focused and deal with an area of pain the customer is experiencing.  Don’t allow your statement to come across as if you’re asking a question about what the person does or, worse yet, what their customer does.  A large customer expects you to have done your homework prior to the call. Demonstrate that you value their time and company.

Whether you are prospecting or calling existing customers, make sure you are thoroughly prepared with an approach that fits that particular customer.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. He is a consultative selling expert, specializing in custom-tailored sales programs. You can read his blog at http://thesaleshunter.com/blog.

This is a Guest post by Jill Konrath of Selling To Big Companies.

Thinking of steering your business into a new direction? Your biggest concern will be credibility. Companies don’t want to be your first client in a vertical market. They don’t want to waste their time showing you the ropes, training and teaching you. Despite being a good company, being inexperienced will increase the possibility of committing mistakes.

Here are a few things to remember:

1. Slowly but surely.

Study the industry that you’re joining. Do your homework and research important information such as industry terminology, rival companies, salable products and services, target clients and specific business processes and operations. Test the waters first. Don’t be too eager to move into the market.

2. Observe carefully.

Determine how they do things in relation to your business offering. Is there any difficulty in achieving certain business goals? What solutions can be suggested? What are the financial consequences of these problems?

Inform your prospective clients of the benefits and value of your products and services. Impart the business outcomes and results when using your offering.

3. Establish connections.

The more contacts you have, the easier it will be to make transactions. It is also better to establish connections between your present customers and your new ones.

4. Start with smaller opportunities first.

Smaller opportunities are easier to manage and the risks are lesser. Deliver an excellent performance on the tasks and assignments that you promised. Then start pursuing other available opportunities to expand your mark.

5. Train your employees on all of the above.

Teach your salespeople to do all these. They will fail if they don’t know how to apply these. Showing them powerpoint presentations aren’t enough. Not only do they have to learn the product/service details, they also need to be able to initiate smart business conversations with companies.

6. Equip your salespeople with easy-to-use and easy-to-understand tools.

Teach your salespeople how to leave effective phone calls, voicemails and emails. Then you can train them in setting up meetings with clients. Provide relevant papers, charts and studies that can be useful when they’re discussing your company’s products and services to prospective clients. Provide a “question matrix” that will serve as guide when making calls. Create customer-focused powerpoint presentations to be used on meetings.

7. Have faith.

Apply the suggestions above to increase your chances of success. Don’t be too eager to succeed. Plan things carefully before making business decisions.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She’s a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings, kick-off events and professional conferences. For timely and provocative sales advice, visit www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com.