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September 10, 2015 by Judy Frank

3 Ways improv can make you a better salesperson

On October 6, I’m co-hosting a unique business event in San Rafael, CA with my good friend, Lisa Safran of Safran Consulting. The event is called How to Elevate Your Business: 10 Steps to Sales Success. You can learn more and register for an early bird discount here. We’ll spend a fun and interactive day going over case studies and exercises to make you and your team more effective at selling.

Perhaps what I’m most excited about is what Lisa will bring to the workshop. She’s spent more than 25 years helping business leaders and salespeople become more effective communicators with the power of improv. She’s also written two books on the subject and has served as an improv and communication coach for individuals, businesses of all sizes, and numerous schools. [Read more…]

August 27, 2015 by Judy Frank

5 Tips to write prospecting emails that get results

You have a prospect’s email address in hand. Maybe it’s a new contact you met at a networking event. Maybe it’s a referral from a current client. Maybe it’s a cold prospect you got off a sales list. No matter who the person is or how you got their email, the challenge is still the same: to send them an email that will get their attention and entice them to take the next step in the sales process.

That’s easier said than done. Crafting effective sales emails is challenging for even the most seasoned and successful salespeople. Part of the difficulty lies in the volume of competition. We’re all blasted with emails on a virtually non-stop basis throughout the day. To get your prospect’s attention, your email has to stand out amid a sea of junk and promotional messages. [Read more…]

August 25, 2015 by Judy Frank

4 Questions to ask when your prospect wants to “think about it”

You’ve made your presentation to your prospect. Everything seems like it’s gone well. They’ve nodded along at all the right parts. They’ve asked good questions, indicating that they’re taking the proposal seriously. They’ve even given some verbal cues that show they like your ideas. They’ve had a couple of objections that you’ve addressed effectively.

You feel good as the meeting winds up. Good enough, in fact, to ask them for the sale. Your prospect takes a deep breath and then says….

“Let me think about it.” [Read more…]

August 17, 2015 by Judy Frank

Don’t make these 5 mistakes in your sales team’s compensation plan

Nothing can fire up emotions and passion among your sales team quite like a discussion about the company’s sales compensation plan. In nearly every company I’ve worked with, sales team members always seem to have strong opinions about compensation. Sometimes they love their compensation plan. In other companies, the sales staff hates the compensation arrangement.

As a sales leader, it’s critical that you and your company get your plan right. A bad compensation plan can cost you money. It can drive away top talent and prevent you from recruiting new blood. It can also be a distraction, forcing your sales team to focus on their perceived lack of compensation rather than making the next sale.

When done well, though, your compensation plan can be a powerful asset. It can help you attract and keep the best talent in your industry. And it can give your team the motivation they need to stretch themselves and reach for that next level of achievement. [Read more…]

August 10, 2015 by Judy Frank

16 Highly effective interview questions that you should ask your sales team recruits

You have sales roles that need to be filled quickly…..like yesterday. You have a virtual stack of resumes in your inbox. As much as you may need to fill the roles quickly, you also know you need to get the right people. Sales is all about people. If you get that component right, you’re way ahead of the curve.

The problem is that it’s difficult to truly know the quality of your people until you bring them on board and see them in action. Anyone can put anything on a resume, and while you can verify some things, you can’t completely separate fact from fiction.

Similarly, there are plenty of prospects out there who are great interviewers and not so great employees. We’ve all been burned by the interview-savant who says all the right things in the lead-up and then can’t complete the most basic tasks once they’re hired.

The only thing you can due is perform exhaustive and thorough due diligence. There’s no better place to do that than in the interview. If you’re a sales leader or some other executive responsible for sales hiring, the buck likely stops with you when it comes to getting the right people in the door.

[Read more…]