Inspirational sales quotes that have never been written

by Shannon F.   Some of the sales industry’s most beloved inspirational quotes have grown a little stale. How many times do you have to be reminded to think positive, dream big, and make lemonade out of unwanted citrus? What if you don’t like lemonade? Here are four sales quotes that have never been written. We’re not suggesting that you frame them and put them above your desk, but maybe they will inspire you to overcome your sales challenges.   “Reaching the top of the mountain is a struggle, but once you forge the raging river, you’ll be among the stars.” What’s wrong with this quote: mixed metaphor; scientific inaccuracy What this quote teaches salespeople: Your sales struggles won’t always make sense. Know when to say, “Hey, are we talking about mountain climbing, kayaking, or astronomy here?” It’s up to you to get straight answers.   “Nothing’s impossible. Actually, some things are impossible. Consider another major category: improbable.” What’s wrong with this quote: not inspirational What this quote teaches salespeople: Does something seem so far out of reach that you would have to devote a disproportionate amount of energy to making it happen? Is your energy better spent working towards goals with a higher return and a greater likelihood of succeeding? Do the probable thing first, and then when you get done, take a stab at the improbable task. Realize that some things, like signing a customer who HATES you, might not happen in your lifetime.   “Winning is easy. […]

4 Little Sales Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

by Shannon Fandler Not to make you paranoid or anything, but we’re guessing that you regularly make at least one of these 4 mistakes. The scary part: at some point in your career, you’ve probably failed to close a big deal due to a seemingly minor offence. So to increase your awareness (and keep you obsessively checking yourself) here are 4 slip-ups we see a lot. 1. Getting a detail wrong. If you’re in a hurry (and who isn’t!) it’s easy to write an email to Dear Daniel instead of Dear Danielle, use Mrs. instead of Ms., or otherwise slip up on a small but important detail. Errors happen, but you can avoid ruffled feathers by triple-checking the prospect’s full name, gender, and the name of the company. It’s worth the extra couple of seconds. If you aren’t sure, check Linkedin; your contact’s profile is sure to have the correct details. 2. Asking an unnecessary question. Imagine how many times your prospect has repeated his key company stats! With a little digging around online, there’s no need to ask basic questions like “What do you do?” and “How many employees do you have?” Too many sales reps fail to get to the point quickly, because they are establishing preliminary facts. Thorough pre-call research can help you arrive at solutions based on the prospect’s company size and industry before you even pick up the phone. 3. Forgetting to get permission. If the prospect is annoyed that you interrupted her, those feelings […]