Mark Jewell's Blog: Selling Energy, page 24

A Sense of Urgency

What do you say when a prospect insists they’re not interested in entertaining an efficiency upgrade until their existing equipment fails?  Unfortunately, this objection is ubiquitous, as too many execs don’t invest time or money addressing things that aren’t “urgent.”  In fact, most of them have so many “urgent” things already on their plate, they can’t be distracted with other initiatives.  So, how can you help them see otherwise?

How to Convince Your Prospect to Abandon the Two-Year Payback “Rule of Thumb”

What do you do when your prospect says, “I need a two-year payback”?  One of the first things you should ask is, “Could you share with me how that expectation was derived?”

Overcoming the Threat to Technology Adoption

One of the challenges we face in our industry is how to convey the value of our products and services without overloading our prospects with the technical complexity of our offerings. Those of you who have taken my workshops know that it’s best to avoid “talking tech.” If your prospects get the sense that your technology is too difficult to understand, they’re going to abandon the idea of doing business with you. So, how do you keep them engaged and interested without crossing the line into “overwhelming” territory?

Weekly Recap, August 13, 2023

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

Positivity Breeds Productivity

I’ve written in previous blog posts about how the adoption of a positive mindset has the potential to boost sales and productivity. Studies show that using negative words and complaining on a regular basis can affect not only your productivity, but also your ability to solve problems and form memories – both of which are critical to our work as sales professionals.

Free Audits Don't Work

Many efficiency businesses offer free audits as a way of getting their foot in the door with new prospects. Free audits seem great in theory, but in practice, they don’t work (for a couple of reasons): 

Rectifying Your Mistakes

If you’ve made a mistake with a client, it’s best to fall on your sword as quickly as possible and take responsibility. It’s important for an unhappy customer to feel both heard and validated.  It’s also the first step toward finding common ground regarding potential remedies.  Any focus on deflecting blame will take a toll on your credibility and reputation.  When you know you’re at fault, simply say, “Yes, we made a mistake, and we apologize.  Our performance in this case was clearly not in keeping with our high standards for servicing our customers.”

The Ideal Approach to Independent Projects

Today, we’ll discuss the ideal approach for non-mutually exclusive projects (also known as independent projects).

Switch It Up

When you’re trying to move a project along according to schedule, timely communication is essential. Unfortunately, not all of your prospects and customers are going to be as quick to respond to your questions and requests as you’d like.

Great Leadership Never Goes Out of Style

Good advice is priceless. And when the advice provides wisdom about leadership, it’s always relevant to sales professionals looking to improve themselves. Remember that whether you lead others or simply your own work efforts, you still need to be a leader! Why not utilize advice from some of the best?