Articles

Are you scaring your prospects?

‘Let's get married!”. How would you react if someone proposed to you on a first date? Would you say yes? Unlikely!

You're probably thinking that anyone who would ask such a thing is a little bit nuts, yet there are probably many thousands of people out there doing something just like that everyday! I'm talking about people selling high value services, to companies that they have no relationship with. Forlornly they walk away from a meeting with the company they have fallen in love with, that they know is a perfect match for them, that would love them back if only they could see… more...

Billable Hours vs. Business Development

It's not very difficult to get salespeople to contact potential clients. It's what they do. But what happens when the people in your organisation responsible for bringing in new business are fee-earners, not salespeople. Inevitably the paid work - billable hours, always comes first, to the detriment of prospecting for new business... more...

Sales is not a numbers game?

Selling consultancy services is quite different from selling double-glazing on the phone. It's not a question of ringing up enough people until you get a project. It just doesn't work that way. Or does it? I'm guessing that you're an intelligent person, and you're never one to shy away from challenging your preconceptions, so I ask you this - have you ever really given this any proper, considered thought? Why do these... more...

What is a CRM, and how do I choose one?

CRM is an acronym for Customer Relationship Management. It refers to a system for storing and organising information about your clients.

Notice that I haven't mentioned the word software yet…! . Your CRM might involve a sophisticated computer program, or it could be notes written on the back of business cards stuffed in your desk drawer! You're probably using... more...

Remembering Names

How important is your name to you? How do you feel when people get it wrong or mispronounce it? How do you feel when it's obvious that someone you've met before can't remember your name? I'll bet that you feel like you're not important to them and that they don't care who you are. How does that make you feel about them? The fact that they're not interested enough to recall your name is probably going to result in you not being very interested in anything they have to say.

If your goal is to develop relationships with people and persuade them to buy from you, how important is the ability to remember names? It is absolutely vital! If this is an area that you have trouble with, then you need to do something about it now... more...

Public Speaking
Richard Grant, Bullfrey Ltd.

Have you found yourself having to speak in public? Have you enjoyed it? Has it gone well? Do you wish you had had some more practice first? Do you watch other people speaking and wish you could be as confident and competent as they are? more...