Hand-​raisers can be a salesperson’s perfect opportunity for new business. But many reps don’t know how to recognize or sell to this type of prospect.

Letting go of deals may seem like horrible advice for a salesperson. But in reality, some deals just aren’t going to close while others shouldn’t even be made. Instead of clinging to each and every deal in the pipeline, reps should instead just let go.

“It’s just not a good time.” “We don’t have the funds right now.” “Maybe if you circle back again in a few months…” Do these sales objections sound familiar to you?

So, you’ve recently pitched to a prospect who has a great need for your product or service. You left the meeting feeling good and sent them an email with next steps. And now you wait. And wait. … and wait. Radio silence. What happened? Should you send a follow-​up email or will that come off as pushy?

Productive conversations are so important to sales, but many reps don’t know how to have them. Effective communication requires some thought and effort but will pay off in the long run with increased trust, rapport and sales. 

Discovery calls can be exciting, informative and a push toward the next step in the sales process. If your calls don’t sound like this, it may be time to assess how you conduct them. There is so much more to discovery calls than picking up the phone and asking some questions.

If you’re like most sales reps, this past year and a half hasn’t been too kind to your sales numbers. The competition is fierce. And with consumers not buying anything unless they absolutely need to, sales have been fewer and far between for a while. However, don’t let a sales slump make you give up and just coast along until the economy fully recovers.

How healthy is your pipeline? While you may be quick to defend it, there’s a chance that it’s not as efficient as it could be. If you find that many leads aren’t closing, your pipeline could be part of the issue. 

Chances are, your product or service isn’t for everyone. It’s not a one-​size-​fits-​all solution that can work for anyone in any industry. So, why are you acting as if that’s what your product is?

Asking layers of sales questions is a technique that reps can use when learning how to best serve a prospect. It involves being thoughtful about how you ask questions, ensuring that each question is asked in an order that is most effective. 

Want to know one of the quickest ways to earn extra money? Upselling your clients. The problem is, upselling exceedingly difficult to do.

Before you can provide value or sell ideas, you need to ask the prospect the right questions.