Sales Prospecting Perspectives

I have been meeting with my team recently to better understand what they like, don’t like, what they would like to see more of, less of, why they joined the AG team, why they stay, and whatever else I might learn that can help improve the AG employment experience. Each and every person I have met with told me they were attracted to AG for a number of reasons, but the most important one was our training. They wanted to be at a company where they could learn. We are very proud of our internal training program and continue to invest and improve it. The conversations I am having validate that we are on the right track.

It’s no secret that sales and marketing teams sometimes don’t get along. One department blames the other, backstabbing business politics ensue, and then your office is full of frowning faces and sneering comments. But that doesn’t have to be the case! By aligning sales and marketing towards a certain goal with a specific philosophy, both departments will learn how to work together, creating office harmony and generating quality revenue. Here are a few tips to align both teams:  

It has long been our philosophy at AG Salesworks to create an enjoyable work environment.  We have done a great job, and continue to work toward finding ways to enjoy ourselves while striving for excellence. 

In the wake of recent events, we have again been reminded of the fact that evil exists.  As a Father and husband, my heart breaks for the mother who woke today having her family shattered beyond comprehension at the hands of unspeakable evil.  As I reflect and mourn for the innocent children and families who started the day with great excitement and happiness, only to have the darkness of evil enter their lives in the most disturbing way, I see the bright side of humanity as well.  The heros, from the first responders to the volunteers, to the bystanders who came to the aid of those in need speaks to the basic human desire to help and love others.

I have learned over the years that having a well thought out plan to reaching any goal makes all the difference. Building a pipeline is no different. When I was a rookie sales guy I was not much for business plans. Give me a list and a phone, and I'll make it happen was my motto. Guess what, it worked, I did make it happen. What I learned several years later is that I could have made more happen with less work, if I had only took the time to plan.

My business partner and I have been building a marketing services and teleprospecting business for the past eleven years.  As I look back, I see several things which have contributed to our success. Passion, hard work, optimism and the will to build something bigger than the individual, building something from nothing are all things that come to mind. The one thing that has ensured our companies success is hiring people who embody all of these things and empowering them to go out and make it happen.

Being a Marketing Pro ain't easy. Trying to please Sales, your CEO and CFO all at the same time, I don’t envy your position. Nowhere to hide and very difficult to prove value.

The beginning of each New Year for me is a time to reflect and set goals to achieve my highest priorities in the coming year.  

As I look back upon 2012, as well as prior years, I have noticed one philosophy that has served our team best.  Creating a company where each and every team member can benefit at a level equal or higher to the level of effort contributed, while enjoying a fulfilling work experience is that philosophy. Not always perfect I will admit, but it sure has stood the test of time.

I’ve always been a planner. I like to write down goals and work toward reaching them.  This is probably as a result of being a career sales guy. Or maybe it’s just the opposite. The fact that I plan and have goals has made my sales career a forgone conclusion. Either way, I like putting together a plan and executing on that plan. Loose ends drive me crazy.

I just read an interesting blog by Mark Emond in which he discusses how the marketing role, as well as the way B2B buyers buy, is evolving.  He talked about how buyers now prefer to engage with a sales rep much later in the process than ever before. I totally agree and I have been telling my team for some time that the first, and often the second steps in the sales process take place well before the first conversation with a sales rep.

Today’s B2B buyers will research, and will likely engage with their social network prior to reaching out and engaging in a conversation with a sales rep. As a result, the sales rep needs to be prepared to engage in a discussion much farther down the sales path. The buyer will be much more educated upon first contact.