It takes a lot of effort to become a really successful salesperson, but all that effort might be in vain if you don't avoid the basic errors many people in sales make. In this new business television show, dozens of experts have contributed their latest sales advice on how to dodge the most common mistakes that undo many a business sales strategy.
The business sales tips on the show have been contributed by dozens of sales experts from around the world. In the show, the experts give four tips on avoiding disaster in your business sales strategy.
The first big mistake identified by the business experts on the show is failing to talk to the real decision makers in your target organisation. By talking to the wrong people, they say, you'll waste a lot of time, a lot of energy, and lose plenty of sales.
So exactly who are the ‘right’ people? They're the senior decision makers who actually have a say over purchasing and expenditure. When you pitch to non decision makers, you are in effect relying on them to sell your products to their boss, the decision maker.
So you need to make sure your business sales strategy is focused on accessing decision makers. This is harder than it sounds, because typically businesses use voicemail, receptionists, and other gatekeepers to keep you away from the people you really need to talk to. Finding your way through all these barriers takes experience and persistence.
In their sales advice on the show, the experts share a couple of pratical tips on getting your message through to the people who really count.
Another common business sales strategy error, say the experts, is to not follow up with prospects after the initial call or meeting.
It’s only natural that sometimes you’ll approach a potential client at the wrong time, or with the wrong pitch, and you get a ‘no’. But if you never follow up with them, you give yourself no chance of ever turning that around.
Watch the show for free to hear more top sales advice from the experts.
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Many thanks to the experts who contributed tips to this series:
Philip Graves, consumer behavior expert, Shift Consultancy -
http://www.philipgraves.net/Dan Page, author of Positioning For Profit -
http://www.innovativesellingtechniques.com/Rory Vaden, sales performance expert and founder, Success Starts Now! -
http://www.roryvaden.com/Erin Klink, director, SimplyFun -
http://www.erinklink.simplyfun.com/Jeff Tobe, primary colorer, Coloring Outside The Lines -
http://www.jefftobe.com/Toyi Ward, principal, Toyi Ward Communications LLC -
http://www.toyi-ink.com/Tom Marquardt, The Profit Repairman, owner of Platinum Inc. -
http://www.theprofitrepairman.com/Sean O'Neil, principal, One to One Leadership -
http://www.one2oneleadership.com/Tina Jesson, founder, PersonalSuccessIdeas.com -
http://www.personalsuccessideas.com/Dave Kurlan, author of Baseline Selling -
http://www.davekurlan.com/Bruce Baker, Bruce Baker Consulting –
http://www.bbakerinc.com/Paul Donehue, president, Paul Charles & Associates -
http://www.paulcharles.com/Jamie Reidy, author -
www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-reidyMichael Soon Lee, MBA, EthnoConnect -
http://www.ethnoconnect.com/Alan M. Shafer, executive vice president and CMO –
http://www.getsmartfish.com/Barry Maher, sales author, speaker, consultant -
http://www.barrymaher.com/Diane Helbig, certified coach -
http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.com/Jeff Doucette, principal, Sales Is Not Simple -
http://www.salesisnotsimple.com/Mike Vannoy, COO -
http://www.salesengineintl.com/Dave Cooke, founder, Strategic Resource Group LLC -
http://www.purecooke.com/Skip Anderson, founder and president, Selling to Consumers Sales Training -
http://www.sellingtoconsumers.com/Monica Carter Tagore, president, RootSky Creative, Publisher of Knowledge Wealth Series -
http://www.rootskycreative.com/Alison Behrman PhD, GM of Speakeasy -
www.speakeasyinc.comBarbara Laskin, president of Laskin Media Inc -
www.laskinmedia.comBarry Maher, principal at Barry Maher & Associates -
www.barrymaher.comCarmine Gallo, communications coach and author of
Fire Them Up -
www.carminegallo.comDawn T Clare, president of Spise Bliss -
www.spisebliss.comDeborah Shames, co-founder of Eloqui -
www.eloqui.bizDennis R Deaton, co-founder and CEO of Quma Learning Systems, Inc -
www.quma.netDerrick Hayes, president of WOE Enterprises -
http://www.encouragementspeaker.com Ira Koretsky, CEO of The Chief Storyteller -
www.thechiefstoryteller.comJanet Larsen Palmer PhD, president of Communication Excellence Institute -
www.talk2cei.comJeff Goldberg, professional speaker and sales trainer -
www.jgsalespro.comJohn Daly, writer at John Daly TV -
www.johndaly.tvJonathan I Ezor, assistant professor of Law and Technology at Touro Law Center -
www.tourolaw.eduJudith E. Glaser, CEO of Benchmark Communications Inc -
www.creatingwe.comKarol Ward, executive presentation coach and author -
www.karolward.comKimAlyse Popkave, president of K.A. Popkave Coaching & Consulting -
www.popkave-coaching-and-consulting.comLaura Lewis-Barr, freelance trainer at Training4breakthroughs.com -
www.training4breakthroughs.comMarianne Gobeil, partner at Leading Communicators Inc -
www.leadingcommunicators.comMichael Souveroff, presentation coach and owner of Natural Speech Coaching -
www.naturalspeechcoaching.comMichelle Eppley, president of The Sound Center Inc -
www.thesoundcenter.comPaul Anderson, president of ProLango Consulting Inc -
www.prolango.comRichard Butterfield, principal at Butterfield Speaks -
www.butterfieldspeaks.comRonald Kaufman, seminar leader/executive coach -
www.anatomyofsuccess.comRuth Sherman, president of Ruth Sherman Associates LLC -
www.ruthsherman.comShel Horowitz, blogger on politics & ethics -
www.principledprofit.comSteve Clements, chief consultant at Executive Speak/Write Inc -
www.executivespeakwrite.comSteve Denning, author of
Secret Language of Leadership and
Leader's Guide to Storytelling -
www.stevedenning.comTiffanie Z Lyon MBA, president of Lyon Sales Institute LLC -
www.lyonsalesinstitute.comTom Brennan, media expert at Tom Brennan Media -
www.tombrennanmedia.com