Tina Phillips

You need to be able to actively listen and actually involve yourself in what the customer is telling you about their situation.

Brian, an inside sales rep, spent too much of his time chasing deals that ended up going nowhere. He knew it; his sales manager Francine knew it. Late one Friday afternoon, Francine asked him to give some thought to the matter, and to come up with some ideas about why this was a problem for him.

The STORY:
Anthony was really on a roll with his presentation to the committee. As he spoke, he looked around the table and decided, based on facial expressions, statements, and body language, that nine of the ten members liked what they were hearing.

As we close in on the end of the year, sales professionals in all industries are likely pondering the same question: Am I on track? It’s important to attempt to answer that question with the best available hard numbers and the most objective real-world assessment.

One of the most important skills a customer care provider can have is the ability to read, evaluate and act on a situation.

Gwen’s closing rate wasn’t looking good; she had missed quota for three consecutive quarters. She asked her manager Eileen for a little help in figuring out what she could do to improve. Among the questions Eileen asked during their one-on-one meeting was this one: “Can I take a look at your proposals?”

As we approach the end of the year, it’s important to identify the strategies that will help us to make sure we are on track to hit or exceed our revenue goals. With goals in mind, consider the following four steps, which can help you achieve a great fourth quarter.

The STORY:
I once attended a seminar given by a fellow named Steve. It was so long ago, I’ve forgotten just what the seminar was about but Steve did something that was so clever, I had to find out how successful it was. While he later told me it worked well, I had no idea how well until I started doing it. Recently I met up with Steve again. He’s still doing the same thing with the same results.

As we enter Q4, professionals in all industries are likely pondering the same question: Am I on track? If the answer, based on the best available hard numbers and the most objective real-world assessment, is “no,” then it’s likely that another question is looming in the shadows behind the first one: How do I get back on track?

Mike’s list of “active” prospects was always long and detailed, and he was sure everyone knew this during his team’s sales meetings. But when his manager Jacqueline did a little digging, she was surprised to learn how few of Mike’s “active” prospects matched up with the ideal sales cycle. Some were taking two or three times as long to reach a decision as the prospects of other salespeople on the team.