Sales Prospecting Perspectives

It's time for another #ProspectingChat over at AG Saleswork's Twitter account. As well as sharing many insights from sales and marketing thought leaders throughout the day, we will also be hosting a Twitter chat at 1:30 PM EST / 10:30 AM PST.

The decision to outsource part of your sales team - whether you're revamping an insourced team or whether you don't have on insourced team - can be a very tough one to make. What are the most crucial factors to look for in an outsourced teleprospecting team? Most people's answer would be: cost. While cost of service is a very important factor when considering an inside sales teleprospecting partner, there are numerous other questions to ask to determine whether the company you're researching is well-run, successful, and most important, trustworthy. In a discovery call about that company, ask these 4 questions to get a real feel for the way they conduct their business. These questions and more are featured in our new guide, "Your Lead Generation Home Away From Home: How Outsourcing Teleprospecting and Inside Sales Functions Can Augment Your Tech Company's Revenue."

Every single campaign I've run here at AG has had its inevitable challenges. We've discovered the hard way that each campaign is like a snowflake: there may be many similarities between them, but no one is exactly the same. Sorry for the lame analogy, but it's true.   

I am so lucky when it comes to clients. I am fortunate enough to work with individuals who truly value what we do and trust our processes. They trust that we are the experts, and that’s the key to every successful customer engagement we run as a company.

This week was a busy one at AG Salesworks. During the first half of the week, our inside sales reps were passing leads like crazy. Their leads were so hot that a small electrical fire started in the office on Tuesday! No worries, though; we’re all safe, and there was just a bit of smoke in AG Central. After that, there was more excitement: The Summer AG Olympics. I’m happy to announce that Team USA won! Find pictures and more about this event on our Facebook.

“Please place me on your no-call list.”

This is the phrase I’ve learned to repeat whenever someone calls my house during dinner time. Some anonymous person is always trying to solicit my money for products I definitely don’t need. A Shake Weight? No thank you! A subscription to Martha Stewart Living? Certainly not! A common misconception about these calls is that anyone who uses the telephone to increase revenue for a company is an annoying telemarketer. But that’s simply not true.

I am a huge fan of the HBO series, “Game of Thrones.” Admittedly, I have not read the books, but I do plan on doing so in the near future. The third season left a lot of fans heartbroken and displeased with George Martin, the author of the book series, but I have learned to love the unexpectedness of our favorite characters falling and the evil ones making their way into the fourth season. It is not how television usually works, where the main characters survive all perils.

It’s the first week of a new month, and I’m sure your sales team is eager to pass qualified leads, meeting deadlines and stepping up to challenges. Here at AG, we’ve held contests over the past few weeks to pump up our own inside sales team. We’ve also produced a few blog posts to help inside sales reps with their technique.

How often do you hear someone say, “Optimism sells.” How about, “Be more optimistic!” In sales, optimism is essential for success. But just saying the words won’t do the trick; you need to train your mind, using cognitive techniques. You need the tools to actually practice optimism.

Several months ago, while shopping at my favorite clothing store, a sales associate approached me asking if she could help me find anything. She eagerly greeted me by the door, as it was slow and I was only one of two customers at the time.  Normally I would probably pass up the help and say I was just browsing, which is usually the case when I go there. I like to look around and see what’s new, what’s on sale.  However, that day I had gone in there with a purpose; I was looking for a particular pair of jeans that I was unable to find online.