Blog #59 ExpertizationBy First ApproachJuly 30, 20140 comments#blog Expertization. You won’t find it in the dictionary. “Expertization”, or being an expert or knowledgeable beyond the norm for a field or subject other than your own specific area is an important weapon in the world of B2B sales. Traditionally, a B2B sales professional ...Read more...
Blog #58 The Well You KnowsBy First ApproachJuly 16, 20140 comments#blog The “Well you knows…” is a concept I named about fifteen years ago, and it continues to serve me well today. But as usual – for me, that is – it differs from conventional prospecting ideology. In a traditional world, those who consider themselves prospecting ...Read more...
Blog #57 HoveringBy First ApproachJuly 2, 20140 comments#blog If you sell to the C-Suite, then you are no doubt well versed in the time it can take to journey from the first hello to the actual sale. Selling to the C-Suite in the B2B space can require a gestation period similar to that of a baby elephant, which is two years for those who are ...Read more...
Blog #56 I Hate Saying I Told You So, But I Told You So.By First ApproachJune 18, 20140 comments#blog Followers of this blog will have observed some of my most common rants, that of the futility of “digital marketing”. Of course, I don’t mean all digital marketing, but rather the fruitlessness of using the internet to reach out to new B2B prospects, with the hope ...Read more...
Blog #55 The Unfortunate TruthBy First ApproachJune 4, 20140 comments#blog Blog #55 The Unfortunate Truth Thank you to my LinkedIn connection Phil Hodgson, VP Sales – HP Canada, for posting this great cartoon on LinkedIn some time ago. While it’s a clever parody, the unfortunate truth is that the above cartoon is all too true. Let ...Read more...
Blog #54 If People Don’t Read Or Listen To Your Message, What’s The Point?By First ApproachMay 22, 20140 comments#blog Ask almost anyone in business today, and they will expound on the wonders of how technology has enhanced their inter-personal communication. In the B2B world, it has become the de facto solution for communicating, replacing antiquated methods like letters, memos or the once ubiquitous ...Read more...
Blog #53 Why Finding The Best Better Idea is Rarely The Best IdeaBy First ApproachJanuary 14, 20140 comments#blog Blog #53 Why Finding The Best Better Idea is Rarely The Best Idea Over the past many years I’ve spent as a consultant, let alone the previous decades spent in the world of business to business sales, I have come to one incontrovertible conclusion; that ...Read more...
Blog #52 Investing In Relationship CapitalBy First ApproachNovember 27, 20130 comments#blog Blog #52 Investing In Relationship Capital What is relationship capital? Relationship capital is ground zero; it is both the nucleus and center of the universe as it relates to the life of a business career. Relationship capital will have the single ...Read more...
Blog #51 Top Of Mind AwarenessBy First ApproachNovember 13, 20130 comments#blog Wikipedia defines top of mind awareness as follows; ” Top of mind awareness is a brand or specific product coming first in customers’ minds when thinking of a particular industry.” There are numerous other definitions but the basic concept is simple, being the first ...Read more...
Blog #50 What If It’s Not The Decision Maker?By First ApproachOctober 30, 20130 comments#blog Blog #50 What If It’s Not The Decision Maker? How do I know if it’s the right person? Do they make the decision? Will it be a waste of my time? Sound familiar? If you’re a sales professional, then you’ve probably pondered these questions many times ...Read more...
Blog #49 It’s LinkedIn, Not FacebookBy First ApproachOctober 16, 20130 comments#blog #linkedin #socialmedia #facebook Blog #49 It’s LinkedIn, Not Facebook I am often disheartened these days by what I see as squandered opportunity on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is, and has been a powerful tool for growing my business for some years now. While I confess that I don’t use ...Read more...
Blog #48 Open Ended or Closed Ended?By First ApproachOctober 2, 20130 comments#blog Blog #48 Open Ended or Closed Ended? “Sure Mr. Prospect, and thanks for talking with me today. To be clear, you’re suggesting I follow-up with you in a few months, right?” Sound familiar? It should, it’s the same conversation ...Read more...
Blog #47 Why A First Meeting Should Never Be About SellingBy First ApproachSeptember 18, 20130 comments#blog Blog #47 Why A First Meeting Should Never Be About Selling I’m often challenged by people that have begun the journey of implementing First Approach. Perhaps “challenged” is the wrong descriptor. Doubt and disbelief are probably more accurate. This ...Read more...
Blog #46 Is It Time For A Change?By First ApproachSeptember 4, 20130 comments#blog Blog #46 Is It Time For A Change? Last Friday was a pleasant day for me. I got news of an old First Approach “graduate” that had left his job for a new position. Now, this may sound like no big deal, but having gone through this same ordeal myself, ...Read more...
Blog # 45 How Do You Jump Start a Sales Person? You Can’t.By First ApproachJuly 10, 20130 comments#blog Recently, I was chatting with a good friend of mine who is a partner in a law firm. The topic of discussion was his on-going frustration with a junior associate who just wasn’t measuring up. Specifically, while this individual was competent at doing work given to him, he ...Read more...
Blog #44 The Status Of The PipelineBy First ApproachJune 28, 20130 comments#blog Deals, deals, deals …. the single thing we covet the most. Deals are what we’re omni-focused on. Deals are what managers and management are obsessed with. Because of this, the professional sales person is usually focused on the back two thirds of the pipeline, that is ...Read more...