Mark Jewell's Blog: Selling Energy, page 157

Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2020

Hello Friends!

The New Year is right around the corner. If you have not already spent some time reflecting on 2019 and planning for 2020, my advice to you is that you start now. Here are several questions you might ask yourself to help guide your plan for 2020: 

7 Ways to Incorporate Online Sales Training Into Your Busy Schedule

Time management is often a sales rep’s biggest challenge, and at first glance, it would seem that adding additional demands such as online sales training would just make things more difficult.

The Scrum Fieldbook

When it comes to highly sought advice, some of the most successful companies in the world have turned to the same source: Scrum.  I know, it’s a funny name, but when it comes to online efficiency these advisors are definitely top notch!  In a nutshell, for the past 20+ years the team at Scrum has established itself as a go-to resource for top-tier businesses that are seeking change or are in need of some first aid.

Weekly Recap, December 22, 2019

Here are our favorite sales-enhancing tips from this week's Selling Energy Blogs...

Rich Habits

Listen for Repetition

I’ve written in the past about the importance of listening carefully to everything your prospects say to you. One thing that you should be sure to take note of when listening is repetition. When people repeat words or ideas, it usually signifies importance. The things your prospects choose to repeat provide insight into their world (which is certainly valuable to have when you’re selling).

8 Common Misconceptions About the Sales Profession

You can never understand someone else’s position unless you have walked a mile in their shoes, or so the old adage goes. This seems to be especially true for people considering a career in sales. In fact, there are probably more misconceptions about working in sales than many other fields.

How to Follow Up After Sending a Proposal

In this time-sliced society, people are interested in action.  People start muttering under their breath if their web browser doesn't load in three seconds.  They’ll move to Firefox or Chrome if Safari doesn't work.  Similarly, if someone contacts a company and it takes 14 days for them to reply, they’ll be miffed.  Chances are they’ll move on to someone else who is more responsive.

How to Connect with a Decision-Maker

When it comes to getting face time with a decision maker, some companies are hard to penetrate. At times, you don’t know where to start because they may be large, complex and opaque when it comes to decision-making. Who should be approached first? The chief operating officer? The chief financial officer? A regional vice president? What about someone in charge of improvements or human resources? And once you pick a target to approach, what happens next?

Everything You Need to Know about Social Media

Whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay.  It has become a permanent part of the online landscape.  If you’re trying to establish yourself as a sales professional, it is much more difficult to reach customers if they can’t find you on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media platforms.  This is also the case for Yelp, one of the most popular social marketing tools on the internet.  It’s where customers go to find out who you are, what you do and how others value your offerings.