Blog #36 The Difference Between A Cold Call And A B2B CallBy First ApproachApril 10, 20130 comments#blog Do you still have a traditional phone at home, you know, the hard-wired type? If so, then you’re probably all too familiar with the dreaded cold call. Dinner time, or trying to relax after a long day, the phone rings and you answer it. Notwithstanding many governments “do ...Read more...
Blog #35 Falling On Your SwordBy First ApproachApril 3, 20130 comments#blog Followers of this blog may find the up-coming subject curious, as it doesn’t directly relate to prospecting or building new relationships in the world of B2B sales. That being said, those who are regular readers will know the primary focus of First Approach, and this thread, ...Read more...
Blog #34 Have You Built A Budget For Prospecting?By First ApproachMarch 27, 20130 comments#blog Blog #34 Have You Built A Budget For Prospecting? Budgets are a pervasive reality in any B2B sales professional’s life. We are required to budget for total sales. We are asked to budget for repeat business and, we are commonly asked to budget for margin, ...Read more...
Take Your Search for a Job OfflineBy First ApproachMarch 25, 20130 comments#blog online.wsj.com When Jessica Rodrigues moved to New York after four years of doing AIDS health work in Mozambique, she mostly relied on the Internet to look for work. She emailed her résumé in response to online job postings and waited. When that tack didn’t net ...Read more...
Blog #31 Ever Stopped To Think Why You Hate Cold Calling?By First ApproachMarch 7, 20130 comments#blog It’s interesting, sales people are never asked why they hate cold calling? They’re just asked or, forced to do it. The question isn’t if cold calling is effective, but rather the never ending need and pressure to prospect together with managements’ ...Read more...
Blog #30 Why Prospecting Is SeasonalBy First ApproachFebruary 28, 20130 comments#blog As I write this blog, it is towards the end of February. On February 18th, Americans observed Presidents Day, and in Canada most provinces celebrate Family Day. What possible relationship could these holidays have with prospecting in the B2B sales environment? With most business ...Read more...
Blog #29 Managing Existing RelationshipsBy First ApproachFebruary 20, 20130 comments#blog If you buy into the idea that relationships are a valuable currency in your business to business sales career, then you’ll not only want to build new relationships, but nurture and maintain existing relationships. A common myth that seems to pervade many sales organizations ...Read more...
Understanding Target ProspectsBy First ApproachFebruary 16, 20130 comments#blog Why in the world would you want to understand a target prospect? As a B2B sales person, you’ve been brain washed to focus on a prospects business, his or her needs, ways you can save them money or improve service. Sales training in North America is a $1.1b market, with countless ...Read more...
The Pursuit Of Relationship Capital® – Can a B2B sales professionals build equity in their career?By First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 comments#blog We think of equity as the tangible assets you own: the part of your mortgage that’s paid off, the stocks you may have in the company you work for. We all hear about the hot-shot tech industry entrepreneurs who sell their stakes for a bazillion dollars, but are they the ...Read more...
Trouble Getting Voicemail Messages Returned?By First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 comments#blog Ever leave a voicemail that wasn’t returned? I know, silly question. If you’re a sales professional in the business to business world, then reaching out to new and existing clients is a day to day necessity. In the old days it was easy. First off, there were ...Read more...
Technology Burnout. If people don’t read or listen to your messages, what’s the point?By First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 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 ...Read more...
Dread making that next cold call?By First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 comments#blog Do you panic or, get a sense of dread every time you know you need to cold call? Do you wish that prospects treated you with the same amount of respect, or even dignity they offer to people they already know? The key to being treated as a peer vs. a cold caller or “sales person” ...Read more...
Farming vs. HuntingBy First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 comments#blog Farming is easier and more rewarding than hunting or, prospecting. First of all, you’ve already made the most important sale of all, your self. It’s no longer about if the client trusts you but rather, if they have a need for a product or service you can provide. Hunting ...Read more...
Are Sales People in the Relationship Business?By First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 comments#blog We are all in the relationship business. If sales people were to recognize that they are a brand unto themselves, they would begin to understand the skill of brand management. If a sales person is a brand, then their brand capital is their relationships. True ...Read more...
Blog #27 Why Intuition Isn’t Always Your Best Guide.By First ApproachFebruary 15, 20130 comments#blog Most of us are great believers in our intuition. We have come to rely on its uncanny dependability to show us a path when a path isn’t clear. You could almost say that intuition offers instantiation: to represent (an abstract concept) by a concrete or tangible example. We ...Read more...
The Best Time to Build a Relationship Is When You Don’t Need the Relationship.By First ApproachFebruary 14, 20130 comments#blog In my company, First Approach, there are twelve maxims or axioms we use to emphasize concepts we feel are important. Maxim #2 is “The Best Time to Build a Relationship Is When You Don’t Need the Relationship” The concept is pretty simple; why ...Read more...