Sales Driven Marketing Hub

We need more leads! But...

I've spent most of my career in sales, and think back to several conversations that made a big impact on the way I think. As a salesperson, I used to cringe when I heard a teammate complain about not having enough leads. I'd think to myself, "You don't need leads, just pick up the phone and hammer!"

When I moved into management, I expected everyone on my team to have the same mentality. "Stop complaining and crank the phones!" I remember my boss intercepting me in the hallway to ask, "Are we going to hit quota this month?"

"We're behind, and it doesn't look like it, but I'll get everyone to bust out more calls. We'll find a way," I assured him. 

Sales and Marketing teams are constantly looking for ways to generate leads that are going to close faster. Search engines and social media are the two main drivers for capturing an audience and driving traffic. Each has it's own strategy and they come from opposite ends of the spectrum. How do you succeed with both?

Ironically, a great social media strategy can get you in front of large audiences in a hurry, but the sales cycle is longer. With SEO, getting to your audience is more difficult and takes more time, but the sales cycle is shorter.

The same question keeps popping up in my head. Have we overemphasized being a leader and devalued being a manager?

As we work with prospects and clients to align sales and marketing strategies, it's a common theme. From lead capture, to sales pipeline, organizations have a systems and processes "management" problem.

Salesforce is a perfect example. How many companies spend thousands of dollars on a platform that just sits there, in total disarray. Salespeople hate to use it because it's inefficient and nobody can explain a clear process or workflow to manage it all.

Top performers often get the top jobs, especially in the world of sales. Most top performers think they're ready to manage and lead. The truth is, they’re not.

Front line managers play a major role in the success of a company. Directors and executives must have the foresight to plan ahead and develop these future managers. As leaders begin to emerge, the truly great ones understand that leadership is more about influence than it is about authority. You can’t demand respect, you have to earn it.

Sometimes top performers get promoted and never miss a beat. They continue to be top producers and develop others into top producers. But often, it goes the other way, at least in the beginning. Here's a breakdown of the way a rookie manager often enters their first 90 days on the job…

How do you become an influential thought leader?

See them in action, and it seems like every move they make gets shared thousands of times across social networks.

Where is the best place to meet influencers? ...and how do you approach them to help you promote your brand?

Seth Price from Placester shares his list of 22 influencer marketing ideas from influential marketers...

Reader Q&A:

I was listening to a group of salespeople discuss best practices for telephone prospecting. One of them suggested, when prospects answer the phone, callers should ask, “Is this a good time to talk?” He said this technique differentiates him from other salespeople, positioning him as someone who is respectful of the prospect’s time.

Of course there were a number of opinions, both for and against the technique.

A couple of weeks ago, Jill Konrath sent me a copy of her newest book AGILE SELLING. Everybody talks about how much sales has changed, but Jill is the best I've ever seen at connecting the dots and finding solutions to the challenges salespeople face.

Everything about AGILE SELLING speaks to speed and agility. Even the way Jill sets up the chapters, two-to-three pages each, with quick hit ideas and tactics that you can immediately apply and improve your selling skills.

"Being an agile seller in today's business environment virtually guarantees a prosperous career. You can ramp up quickly in new positions, becoming competent in record time. You can jump-start sales of new products or services. You can instantly adjust to new market dynamics. In short, agility becomes your competitive edge." -Jill Konrath

When you read AGILE SELLING, you’ll discover over 63 new ideas and strategies for developing an agile selling mind-set, learn new information quickly, pick up new skills fast, and learn the success habits of agile sellers.

In some of my favorite chapters, Jill talks about how...

Last week I asked our readers to share best practices for creating urgency, getting prospects off the fence, and closing the sale. We had so many responses on LinkedIn and Google Plus, it was impossible to choose only one best answer. I've narrowed it down to my 11 favorite responses. Congratulations to all the winners! I've made it easy to connect with them by sharing their social profiles and company web site.

The gurus will tell you email is by far the preferred method of communication for most of your prospects. Want to know the best time to send an email, and increase your chances of having it read?

GetResponse analyzed 21 million messages sent from US accounts and found that 23.63% of all email opens occur within the first hour after delivery. By the second hour, the results drop by half.

Check out this infographic to get the details.

Reader Q&A:

I would venture to guess that every one of us has at least one prospect that's dragging their feet. They like what you have to offer, but they just won't pull the trigger.

Share your best practices for creating urgency. How do you get prospects off the fence and get them to buy now? Join the conversation on Google Plus.

BEST PRACTICES CONTEST: Share your best ideas, and I'll publish my favorite comments on a follow-up post (11 Tips for Closing New Business) with links back to your site and/or profile. Winner(s) get the spotlight across my entire social network!