Sales Prospecting Perspectives

This past weekend, a certain sports team challenged me to be optimistic.

You guessed it: The Patriots.

While I’m not a fervent football fan by any means, I grew up in the New England area and have an avid sports fanatic of a father. After many years questioning what this or that meant, I’ve finally reached a point where I not only understand the rules of the game (well, most of them), but where I also can get worked up and over-excited by certain plays.

You know the plays I’m talking about. This Superbowl, there were plenty: interceptions on both teams, crazy catches that seem more luck than skill, and insane rushes that are simply unbelievable. This year, I wasn’t scrolling through my iPhone throughout the game (I wasn’t even tweeting), I was paying attention. And that cost me some energy.

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest blog from Demian Farnworth, Chief Copywriter at Copyblogger Media. 

To close a sale, a prospect needs to commit to buy (plus a few other steps, but that commitment is crucial). What transforms someone from a cynical prospect into a customer? What factors contribute to commitment?

In short, presentations must be loaded with convincing evidence to prove your product is reliable. The principle is simple: If a company incorporates trust and credibility in its marketing, skepticism naturally fades. Read on for 10 essential principles to build belief, sweep aside distrust, and close sales.

The holidays are behind us, and the New Year has begun! It is a season of resolutions, many of which focus on bettering yourself, living a healthier lifestyle, achieving financial goals, and spending more time with family. Although resolutions are key to personal growth and success, they can also be used in the workplace to motivate and encourage success for the upcoming year. Here are a few resolutions to help kick off your B2B sales prospecting on the right foot in 2015.

Seeing as this is the end of the year, I suspect many of you may be feeling what I like to call the “end-of-year blues.” It’s a positive time to be a consumer, especially if you are planning to buy a car, as you can often use this end-of-quarter or end-of-year blues to secure larger than normal discounts from desperate and starving sales reps.

For inside sales reps, on the one side, you’re getting the brush off from prospects who want to call you back next year instead. The end of a period is a time when your prospects have other fires burning bright. Often, they use those other priorities as an excuse to put buying decisions on hold – especially if you’re selling to publicly traded companies. “I need some more time,” “let me think about it” and “call me back next (month, quarter or year)” are three of the most frustrating phrases you’ll ever hear in sales.