The simple quote, “I learn, I earn” by Santosh Kalwar is a simple formula for sales success. I have spent 20 plus years running a B2B appointment setting and lead generation organization that arranges sales appointments for hi-tech hardware and software companies. We monitor all of the sales appointments we generate for our clients, numbering in the tens of thousands over the years, and we have witnessed the best and the worst sales presentations. Our collective experience has made it abundantly clear that education is the key to sales success.
Top earners (closers) are in the office early, conduct most of the presentations themselves, and don’t rely on the expertise of others, such as sales engineers.
Conversely, the order takers open the session with a few pleasantries and then sit back and listen as their sales engineer proceeds to explain the company’s value proposition. In most cases, they use props like slide decks. The presentation quickly turns into a dissertation, and the prospect often counts the minutes until the meeting ends.
Quality sales presenters engage the prospect with thoughtful questions. Please note that the questions I am referring to don’t include a quiz on their budget. BANT is a four-letter word used by marketers who mistake order takers for salespeople.
There is a learning curve in any job. However, the faster you go after consuming, retaining, and articulating your company’s value proposition, the sooner you’ll have the confidence necessary to go it alone and succeed.
The simplest way to achieve this is;
- Study every piece of literature the company has, including white papers and slide decks. Highlight the key value points.
- Ask your manager, other sales colleagues, and sales engineers to present your company’s product or service from their point of view using WebEx or a similar platform. (Record these sessions.)
- Audit your colleagues’ sales meetings with permission, and record the sessions if possible. Write down what you thought they did right or wrong. (Keep these notes to yourself.)
- Write a script and practice it. Talk to family and friends and pitch them. Be humble enough to use someone else’s words until you can make them your own.
In closing, if sales success were easy, everyone would be successful. Hard work and practice separate the order takers from the closers. When you become an expert in any field, the money usually follows.
MoreMeetings.com, in business since 2001, is a B2B appointment setting service and lead generation company. In addition to arranging sales appointments, we offer cold email as a service, lead nurturing, trade show qualification, and sales training. Why trust us? 72% of our appointments become funnel opportunities. Our services span North America including, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as Central America, South America, Europe and Asia Pac. Find out how we can help you: Learn More