image courtesy of DocusignRecently a panel discussed 9 of the top sales myths in business-to-business selling. I had the honor and pleasure of being a panelist, along with two of my favorite sales and marketing experts, Nancy Nardin of Smart Selling Tools and Matt Heinz of Heinz Marketing. The event was hosted by Docusign, and you can see the whole webinar here.
Nancy made some great points about sales metrics and hitting sales numbers. She is always quick to talk about productivity, and as an advocate for technology tools she's always looking at outcomes and gains. She wrote in detail about her points on the Smart Selling Blog.
Matt (check out his blog here) talked about hiring myths in sales - specifically whether previous industry experience is required for your sales position and even whether previous sales experience is required. One of my favorite sales reps today is a very successful enterprise rep who came into a major corporation with NO previous sales experience and very little business experience. He was promoted from inside sales to a coveted outside position within 2 years. What he does have and did demonstrate at the time are many of the characteristics you would want in a seller. I like Salesloft's post about the sales characteristics of successful sellers.
For me, I am always hearing about how the telephone is dead and how people don't want to use it anymore. It is not effective and since no one returns your call or listens to your voice mail, it is a pure waste of time.
Is it?
There are companies all over North America and worldwide who make calls on behalf of small, medium, and large organizations so it must still work to use the phone.
Sure, some people will never answer their phones again - others always appreciate a well-crafted message that helps them in some way.
If you can help educate your potential buyer and make his or her life better in some way, and your product or service is a strong potential match for their needs, I say it is upon you to call them and gain their attention.
You can hear the rest of what I said on the webinar, and thanks to Docusign for the cool graphic. It will keep me looking to bust some more sales myths. (Note: you do need to give your name and basic contact info.)
What's the biggest myth in selling that YOU see? We'd love your thoughts.
Lori Richardson is recognized as one of the "Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2013" and one of "20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management for 2013". Lori speaks, writes, trains, and consults with inside and outbound sellers in technology and services companies. Subscribe to the award-winning blog and the "Sales Ideas In A Minute" newsletter for sales strategies, tactics, and tips in selling. Increase Opportunities. Expand Your Pipeline. Close More Deals.
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