Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Most Effective Way to Begin a Sales Meeting - Prof. Wortmann

The Most Effective Way to Begin a Sales Meeting:
Ever had a “groundhog day” sales meeting? You walk away thinking; “Damn, we already had this meeting…we haven’t moved forward. Same old stuff.” We have all made this mistake. Part of it is just plain preparation and being clear on the agenda. But that’s not all. There are two tactics that high-performing sales professionals use consistently; the purpose, benefit, check and pivots. The purpose, benefit, check is the way EVERY sales meeting should open:
“The purpose of our meeting today is to discuss your sales toolkit and how it supports your sales process.
I think this will provide you with a strong sense of how the toolkit could be enhanced to strengthen the sales team (benefit).
How does that sound (check)?
The “PBC” gives you three critical things: aligns your prospect’s expectations with your own, demonstrates that you are prepared and organized, and shows respect for your prospect’s time.
It also points your body down the hill. (What does that mean?) In giant slalom skiing, the racers fly through the gates at high speed. But if you watch them closely, you will notice that their bodies are pointed at the finish line, even as they are subtly shifting their weight to pivot around the next gate. Just like high-performing sales people, skiers know they have to hit all of the gates. They know they can’t miss even one. And they know they have to do this as fast as they possibly can.
Pivots are the same. As mentioned in previous posts, pivots are the transitions you make in a sales meeting to ensure that you are tackling your own objectives. If it is a qualifying conversation (is there any other type?), you are pivoting from budget to timeline, from timeline to decision-makers, and so on. In my experience, sales professionals can make 3 to 4 clean pivots in a sales meeting, and when they do, they walk out having significantly moved the situation forward.
Every sales meeting should be going somewhere. You determine where you want it to go and then you set the course (PBC), pivoting through the gates to get there. As fast as you can.
Have you used “purpose, benefit, check” in a sales meeting? How did it go? Was the meeting more effective because you initiated this process? Let us know via Twitter! (You can also follow Sales Engine CEO, Craig Wortmann, directly!)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

12 Key Social Media Takeaways

12 Key Social Media Takeaways from Top Social Media Experts






COURTESY socialmediatoday via CMO.COM...
At Instant E-Training we recently concluded our popular “Social Media for Business” WebConference and Certification event. We had over 23 live Social Media training sessions conducted by over 18 leading social media experts. Understandably, there were some pearls of wisdom thrown by all our experts over the course of 6 weeks. So we thought to compile what we thought were 12 key takeaways from our Social Media WebConference event. You can implement these for your business right away. So here are 12 key Social Media takeaways by 12 Social Media experts:
1.Act – If you aren’t getting pushback then you aren’t pioneering – Erik Qualman
Don’t be afraid to try new things and get reactions. Every pioneer makes a bold statement which not everyone always agrees to initially. Often people will hesitate to try new things, but don’t let that discourage you. Act, make bold choices and interact with your audience.
2. It’s not about creating accounts, It’s what you do with them – Krista Neher
There was once a time where companies and organizations created accounts just to say that they had them. Now, it is imperative to use them to connect well with your audience. Make your company one that can be personable and one that people can connect with.
3.Collaboration is necessary for Social Media success– Chris Barger
“No other business strategy executes independently; social shouldn’t either”.
All of your social media efforts should align themselves with the same purpose and remain consistent. Along with that, your whole team should also be on the same page with what their role is in order to work together effectively. Involve your legal team, build social media policies, and keep everyone in the know.
4. Life is not about being liked it’s about being effective – Chase McMichael
The goal with Facebook and social media is not just for people to merely nod their heads in agreement and throw a thumbs up, but to take action. It’s about getting your customer to be actively engaged with your product or organization through social media. You need to have the right content to facilitate the greatest interaction. Find the common interests that your brand’s audience shares and give them what they want. The goal is that through their engagement people would have a great sense of what your company is about and choose you when given the opportunity.
5. Content Isn’t Great Until It’s Shared – Lee Odden
Give your audience something worth talking about. Create content that is music to their ears. You can create this share worthy content via a blog and re-purpose it in many fashions. Participate in the conversations that form and engage the growing network to motivate your audience to share.
6. Twitter Golden rule – Give before you get – Hollis Thomases
You need to give your followers things of value to them. Don’t just ask for a sale – instead give them thoughts, ideas, and tweets worth re-tweeting. You want to give your audience information that is of value to them. It is then that they will pay closer attention to what you have to say. Just don’t expect to receive anything, and give, give, give. If it is done right, you will start to naturally get the attention you want.
7. Figure Out Your Customer’s Dream & Sell them – Brian Carter
Remember that the medium is the message. Something that you might share in an email might not be as well accepted as it would be on a Facebook wall. Whatever it is you share, you want it to be memorable. Selling the dream doesn’t mean the product itself, but rather what it represents for your audience. Sell them awe, connection, belonging, fun, happiness.
8. For small business owners, Word Of Mouth Starts With You– Sima Dahl
For a small business owner, no one is going to retweet for you or share your posts like it usually is the case with big brands. So the conversation starts with you ….Creating memorable moments starts with you. Select a social media channel, assess your content, start a conversation, and be creative. Be a real person with real honest opinions. Find people, engage them, and tell them what you are up to. Encourage the conversations that proceed.
9. Our networks are our most important assets – Neal Schaffer
Our personal and professional networks are the most important assets we have and so we should treat them as so. LinkedIn is a great way to access and form that network. Our network provides us with credibility and possible opportunities. On LinkedIn you can join groups, participate in events and even be introduced to new people that your friends and colleagues know. We have a platform to listen, engage, and connect. It’s simple and a great way to tap into one the most important assets you have.
10. Online Video can help captivate, engage, and stimulate your audience – Bob Tripathi
Videos are great because they captivate the viewer’s attention and stimulate their senses via sight and sound. They keep the viewer engaged. In most cases emotion is easily conveyed and thoughts are easily spread. It can be consumed on a variety of devices, making it also easily accessible. People are able to engage with this media by liking, sharing, and commenting, making this a valuable tool in persuasive efforts.
11. What can be found, can be optimized – Bob Tripathi
If there is any content found on the internet, there is a way to enhance its searchability via the web. Whether it be a blog post, video, or a website be sure to use the right keywords, tags, and phrases to ensure those who go searching will find you. Know what your audience is searching for and how they go about looking for it. There is always a way to enhance your content by way of optimization whether be it your web site, videos, images, or any other digital asset.
12. You cannot qualify a gain without the ability to measure it – Marshall Sponder
Not all social media marketing efforts lead to a ROI. You might need to examine your goals and modify them in order to measure your ROI. Figure out your goals and determine how you will measure progress. The ROI comes from tracking what was invested to execute your plan against the results as outlinedby way of Social Media Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). Find a practical way to measure and qualify your gain.