We make choices every day. What should I have for lunch? Which prospects should I follow-up with today? Should I post how I really feel about the state of the world — or maybe just selling — on social media?
Many of these choices seem inconsequential but then, to your surprise, one has an unforeseen impact on your career. Leading this week’s trending sales content is a story of how one sales professional’s bold choice to share a strong opinion shook up the internet and transformed his career. You’ll also discover how sales reps can reclaim three to five hours each week, plus the top reasons why sales prospects don’t make the optimal choice.
Here’s What Sales Professionals Are Reading and Sharing This Week:
How One Provocative LinkedIn Post Can Transform Your Career
To say that social selling has changed the B2B sales process would be an understatement. For some salespeople, social selling has been a career-changer. In this post, Eric “ERock” Christopher details the story of Marcus Murphy, whose career trajectory changed when he published a LinkedIn post titled, Why cold calling is dead and Jeff Weiner is my hero.
Marcus didn’t set out to be a poster boy for social selling. His bold position was prompted by a train wreck of a sales conversation which occurred during a flight. Marcus wasn’t part of the exchange. He was merely a captive fly on the wall to an awkward sales pitch happening between “middle-seat man” and “window-seat man.” After a series of cringe-worthy moments, Marcus had an epiphany that these types of conversations didn’t need to happen; there are better ways to make connections with prospects. The post shares Marcus’ top three tips for effective social selling and highlights other examples of how social selling elevates careers.
How to (Profitably) Manage Your Time
How much time do you give away each week? In this post, Kelly Riggs suggests that the average salesperson wastes three to five hours a week on activities that do not contribute to their sales objectives. As Kelly sees it, the issue is lack of a definitive sales plan. (To-do lists don’t count.)
For effective time-management, Riggs recommends thinking strategically about who your targets are and what you’re willing to do to secure them. Which opportunities should you pursue? The answer is not, “all of them,” because 89% of your revenue will come from 25% of your customers. What do these high-value customers look like? While closing larger prospects typically requires more work, the larger commissions makes it well worth the effort. Check out the post to see if you’re guilty of making any of Riggs’ common compromises that stand in the way of big-time results.
Top 10 Reasons Your Prospects Don’t Make Optimal Choices
You were crystal clear when you laid out the features and benefits of your product. You proactively answered any and all possible objections. Yet, your prospect still made a poor choice (aka they didn’t buy your product).
What’s with that?
In this post, Nancy Nardin shares key reasons why your targets aren’t buying what you’re selling. Sometimes the perceived reward isn’t worth the risk or hassle of making the switch. Sometimes a competitive product just seems more shiny or inexpensive. Sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective. Nancy’s full list provides additional insight into the customer mindset -- great information to have as you plan how to guide prospects to better choices in the future.
Building Your Own Network When You’re Part of a Family Business
Every family has one: that guy or gal who knows just about everyone. In a family business this is an incredible boon -- after all relationships are a key differentiator that niche businesses have against larger competitors. But what happens when Grandpa’s contacts turn into dead leads, sometimes quite literally? Ashley Fina found herself in this situation when she became president and CEO of her family’s furniture store at just 24 years old.
This write-up by Josh Baron and Judy Lin Walsh shares how Fina took steps to broaden her network and keep the business viable. The authors also share network-strengthening tips that are applicable to salespeople across all sectors.
For more bold takes on social selling, time management, and sales prospecting, subscribe to the LinkedIn Sales Solution blog.
Topics: Sales trends
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