13 Things that effective sales people do consistently

1	They plan their objectives for every call they make
2	They establish credibility for themselves and for IMAPAC through powerful, relevant value based call openings
3	They’re passionate about how conferences meet our customers’ sales and marketingn objectives
4	They work really hard to understand our customers’ needs and objectives
5	They don’t rush in and talk about the conference or solution in detail before they have thoroughly investigated customers’ needs
6	They know the difference between features, advantages and benefits – and they work with benefits
7	They explore objections and concerns thoroughly before trying to answer them
8	They explore the needs and criteria of additional decision makers before sending proposals
9	They write structured proposals that highlight benefits that meet explicit needs
10	They always seek to move the sale forward and they don’t let the dialogue stall or ground in circles
11	They keep accurate pipeline reports that are focused on the next action they will take to advance the sale
12	They don’t negotiate until the customer has agreed there is value in the solution
13	They don’t try to sell by email – they speak to as many clients and prospects as possible

Gatekeepers

Getting past and working with the gatekeeper

Be respectful

Make an enemy of the PA, and you’re making your job ten times harder…the decision maker will listen to what the PA has to say about your attitude or approach and will probably not take your call no matter how relevant it might be.

Sound confident and professional

The gatekeeper needs to believe that you are a serious enough individual to warrant a conversation with her boss. In other words: you need to sound like her boss!

Keep it simple and business focused

Don’t sound evasive: explain the area of the opportunity you have and what you’re trying to achieve

Use your knowledge

Any knowledge you have of the organisation or individual’s priorities is helpful. Especially if you have a quote or have seen the decision maker’s name in an article connected with the event’s subject matter or audience

Keep control and use questions

Ending your sentences with a question is one good way of keeping control as it encourages the gatekeeper to give you information. Eg instead of “My name is John Smith” ask “This is John Smith here. Is Bill available?”

Find and use additional points of contact in the organisation

Identify and approach other individuals. Build up your contact base and knowledge of the organisation. They may be able to introduce you or suggest an alternative approach.

Use your broader network

Ask colleagues, associates, other vendors. Reach out for assistance, information and introductions wherever possible.

Try early, middle, or late

An old method but a good one: try outside of normal business hours or during lunch when the pa is less likely to be in.