While working with a client at their sale's meeting a sales professional said he was getting frustrated because the prospect would not return his email and voice mails, and wondered if he should stop trying.

The sales professional met the prospect at a trade show and he had agreed to subsequent contacts.The account was appealing  and targeted by management  and was considered a very desirable client.

During the discussion by his fellow sales professionals ideas were offered as potential solutions:

Call the receptionist seeking help looking for a more effective way to contact the person. Stop by the prospects office and inquire about the best way to contact him, sighting your efforts to date. Send a registered letter to the person asking for a meeting to follow up on the trade show introduction. Send a registered letter with a memory stick...

In this video, Dave Neal -- CEO of Neal & Associates, www.NealABC.com -- interviews Direct-Response Copywriter and Marketing Consultant Granison Shines about what he's going to discuss at the Always Be Marketing and Selling seminar coming up on August 19,2010.
 

In this video, Granison Shines -- Copywriter and Marketing Consultant, www.ShinesAndAssociates.com -- interviews CEO and Sales Expert Dave Neal about what he's going to discuss at the Always Be Marketing and Selling seminar coming up on August 19,2010.
 

www.alwaysbemarketingandselling.com

In many of our engagements over the last two years we hear sales professionals complain “the old days are gone it’s all about price!”

Price has never been excluded from the equation. Perhaps there was a little less emphasis in the past, but always lurking near the surface.

Although we are in the most difficult economy in our lifetime hasn’t it always been about price, value and relationships?

Sales professionals can become pessimistic allowing the customer and themselves to obsess over price. World class sales professionals continue to dig deep and wide looking for opportunities to creatively bring value, innovation, cost reduction, and relationships to the sales process.

As owners, sales managers, and sales professionals we must all look introspectively and resist the tendency to fall prey to the price mantra.

Do you believe in your goods or services? If so challenge yourself to find the differentiators. Price will has always been and will always remain relative

...

Time is money!

All sales professionals have the same amount of time to sell (24hrs/7 days a week)? How they spend their precious time can make a big difference.

According to a survey conducted by CSO (Chief Sales Officer Insights) only 35.7% of the average sales person’s time is spent in face to face selling. Arguably the most important use of a sales professional’s time allocation.

Certainly there are other tasks: administration, quote preparation, generating leads, meetings, etc. that require an expenditure of time.

Are you aware and monitor where your and your team’s time is spent? Do you condone where the time is spent? Do you coach sales professionals to increase valuable face to face selling time?

One obvious area to examine is the use of technology (CRMs, laptops, cell phones, webinars, etc.) to reduce manual processes, thus increasing face to face sales time.