by Rick Baker
On Aug 27, 2010
Sales Tweet #30 Warning. People make mistakes. Have an action plan ready in case a Client stands you up.
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
I used to have a "20 Minute or Free" rule. I would wait 20 minutes if a client was busy. With today's technology - my BlackBerry - 20 minutes can go by in a blink…checking and responding to email, writing Sales Tweets, etc. However, there could be a better way. I could make a practice of confirming all meetings the day before. That would reduce the likelihood of 'disconnects'. And, when I set meetings I could let the other person know I will either call or email them, whichever they prefer, an hour [or 2] before the start of the meeting to make sure we are both on time. PS: I believe sales people should go out of their way to be on time for all meetings. We can support this Good Habit by setting standards and leading by example when we have internal sales meetings.
by Rick Baker
On Aug 26, 2010
Recently, I created a picture to help me explain some of my thoughts about marketing & sales. A copy of The Marketing & Sales Picture is shown below.
In summary, the picture contains 5 pieces:
- Marketing & Sales Entrepreneurship
- Marketing & Sales Management
- Marketing Action
- Sales Action
- A cross-hatched section where Marketing & Sales activity overlap
My intent was to provide a simple [as in
Seeking Simple] picture that would serve several purposes.
The key messages behind the picture are:
- We need a Picture to remind us business development work requires:
- Planning
- Integration and Coordination
- Marketing & Sales demand entrepreneurship. I have used the word ‘entrepreneur’ instead of the word ‘leader’ [I learned that from following Michael Gerber, the author of E-Myth, etc]. I define entrepreneurship as: having a vision for change and having the drive to keep pressing ahead with action aimed at that change.
- Marketing & Sales Entrepreneurship leads Marketing & Sales Management. Simply stated, there is a hierarchy and entrepreneurship wins over management.
- Marketing & Sales Management guides and controls Marketing Action and Sales Action.There are 2 major points:
- Marketing Action and Sales Action should not be done in isolation
- Marketing Action and Sales Action overlap
- Action: Action is so critical we should spell it out at least twice.
by Rick Baker
On Aug 25, 2010
Sales Tweet #28 Ask sales-role candidates how they buy (1) shoes, (2) a big TV, and (3) a car. So - how will they sell?
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
I believe there is value in analysing how sales people buy. Sales people's approach to buying will impact on their approach to selling. There are many specific things to look out for. For example, is the sales person an impulsive buyer? If so, then is the sales person as impulsive as the price of the item to be purchased increases...i.e. from shoes to a big TV and from a big TV to a car? Another example, does the sales person involve others or go it alone for purchasing? The self-image of the sales person will influence how the sales person perceives buyers.