Lead Qualification: Getting to NO is as important as getting to YES May 14, 2008

Lead Qualification: Getting to NO!

 

from Go-to-Market Strategies Lead Quality. This is the crux of most sales and marketing disputes, isn’t it? And, it is no wonder. Lead quality is possibly the most important element to sales success. Because, no matter how great your product, or sales skill, or tools, if the lead itself is not a good quality lead, you have NOTHING. Lead qualification is harder than it seems, which is quite possibly why it is so often skipped in the sales process. The problem with that of course is ….better lead quality directly relates to higher close ratios. So what is the trick to identifying quality leads?

WLS Quicktip: Detach Yourself from Introductions April 15, 2008

Start to tremble when someone asks what you do for a living? Want to join a networking group but don’t–simply to avoid that “30-second commercial”?

I found that I froze up when giving an introduction for my business…yet, had no problem introducing someone else’s. Why was this?

My theory was that I was simply not attached to that other person’s business–or what anyone thought of it. I couldn’t control whether people would be interested and my threshold of concern for that wasn’t as strong as it was for my own thing.

So I decided to pretend that when introducing my own business, I was actually just a rep for someone else. In doing so, I was able to detach and my concern for whether or not that person liked me, or my business idea, dropped dramatically. I took things less personally and was less worried about feeling rejected; I was able to embody the “my business is not for everyone” philosophy, and thus didn’t take it personally when someone didn’t join my group.

It’s always easier to refer someone else than to put your own best foot forward, so for those of you with this difficulty, try pretending you work for a nameless boss who owns your business when making the introductions. You may very well find that you speak more freely and without fear of rejection!