Pandemic Prospection Series I’m hearing two extremes right now. One salesperson’s extreme approach leads calls with empathy while downplaying that business and sales still have to get done. The opposite extreme approach is so focused on business goals that the salesperson comes across as completely inauthentic and non-caring. A cornerstone of our business has always been (and continues to be) the statement: Sales is a process…artfully done. The “artfully done” part is all a...

Pandemic Prospection Series Since mid-March many statements have been made regarding prospecting. Some of the most popular are: “No one is answering the phone.” “People are just not in the mood for sales calls. It’s insensitive right now.” “Our pipeline is frozen and we’re starting over.”  While there is some truth to these statements, there are myths we tell ourselves as well. We can get caught up in fear, uncertainty and doubt. If call reluctance was e...

Pandemic Prospection Series By Marisa Pensa & Troy Pensa Working from home full time can be a wonderful benefit (when not travelling). But what happens when you’re forced into an unfamiliar work situation along with a spouse, children and maybe dogs? Cats, at least not that I’ve ever heard, don’t typically bark when deliveries come to the door.  This will obviously stretch all nerves to a breaking point, but there is hope. We have been working from h...

Which list would you like to describe you? Option 1: Energized, invigorated, focused, passionate, balanced, strongOption 2: Run-down, sluggish, brain-fogged, stressed, depressed, anxious I’d choose Option One and I’ll bet you would, too. As we start the new year, and a brand new decade, I thought I would shake things up a bit and write about a different topic that is of interest to us all -- reducing stress and avoiding burnout. Before writing Competitive Selling: The Guidebook to ...

Think of the fastest “No” responses that come out of your mouth without even thinking about it. Is it when your young child begs for every sweet treat at the grocery store? Or when you answer the phone and a stranger tells you that you have just won a contest you never entered? Or when you receive a political campaign call? We all have a knee jerk response in these situations. We shut down. We automatically say “No.” Many times in sales we face a fast, knee-jerk “No” when pro...

According to InsideSales.com, inside sales programs are growing 300% faster than outside sales programs. Other studies report that outside field reps are now spending 40 percent of their time or more selling remotely due to a significant shift in customers no longer wanting to meet face-to-face to purchase products or services.  In the supply industry, inside sales often means different things to different organizations.  For one company, having an inside sales team could mean they have a...

Finding H.E.R.B. - Not Easy - But Worth It! Way back in 1602, Shakespeare wrote, “To be or not to be: that is the question.” In today’s sales environment we say, “To go high or go low: that is the question.” Let’s look at some predictable responses we hear when asking for a sale:  “I need to run this by John before I can make a decision.” “I was instructed to get three quotes before making a decision. I’ll get back with you.” “I have a feeling we are okay on this, but just ...

John had been working for the same company and serving many of the same clients for years. He liked what he did and was good at it. While steadily bringing on new customers, the current ones were loyal and continued to buy what they always did each time they ordered. But in a coaching session with his Manager, he learned that many of his customers were only buying about a third of what he could sell them.   Why was that? John had fantastic relationships with them. He knew their buy...