Image courtesy of InsideViewI like good infographics about sales and marketing. It's primarily because I am a visual learner, and because I love the art and science of business-to-business selling. So it did not go unnoticed that the Game of Sales, a clever Infographic created by Inside View has been viewed and shared thousands of times since it just debuted hours ago.
Read it closely, new reps because it holds great lessons within. For starters, I have to say that I take exception to the generalizations about cold calling - we all know that cold calling is alive and well, it's alive - except that it is now preceded with a tiny bit of research and is called warm or targeted calling. As a very successful inside sales rep, I never bullied the receptionist or gatekeeper, and even today, when need be, we pick up the phone and usually always reach our intended party.
However, we know it is 2012 and buyers are on the web doing research about us and our industry counterparts. We need to do our own better research and find ways to add value to any interactions we have. This brings us to the 17 tips in the Infographic. I'm going to highlight 2 of my favorite tips -
1. Circumstances where Senior Business Executives Would Accept a Phone Call from a Salesperson -
best bet: with a recommendation from someone INSIDE the company.
next best bet: a referral from outside the company
worst chance: a direct telephone call from a salesperson
2. Before contacting someone, you should fully understand their industry, primary business goals, and company size.
Salespeople really need to work on this one (#2), so my hat's off to InsideView for reminding the profession and b2b sellers everywhere of this. That includes follow up from conferences and events. You just won't get anywhere with the tired, old generalized scripted follow-up call. What amazes me though, is that sellers are still using them. In technology sales.
I got one yesterday. The guy on the phone told me I had attended a webinar in May. Really, I thought? He wanted to know if I remembered it. I barely remember July. Then he went into a scripted pitch. I stopped him and told him I was going to interrupt so I could ask him what he really wanted. We got to the bottom of things (his sales call) and I saved both he and I several minutes or more of our lives. He probably won't be calling me back, but then again, he did get some good sales education. I hope he takes it to heart.
InsideView took a lighthearted approach to educate the masses, and I applaud them. If you see other Infographics or fun ways to educate front-line sales people and sales leadership, please send them our way. Also, post your thoughts about this one.
Infographic: Game of Sales InsideView
Lori Richardson is recognized as one of the "Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012" and one of "20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management". 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 tips and strategies in selling.