For whatever reason, the “going negative” voicemail has the highest callback rate. There must be a psychological phenomenon at work here. In any case, if you have done a good job adding value through the contextual prospecting process, the prospect will likely call you back after this voicemail. You have been providing such great information to

We have initiated training over the last month on better customer expectation setting. We need you to take that training seriously. We are here to help you through this skill development.”

It was not necessary to be the top performer, but consistent goal attainment was a must. For “sales skills,” I looked for well-roundedness.

“A common sales management mistake is to overwhelm the salesperson with coaching too many skills simultaneously. Pick one skill and focus.”

The engagement of the lead is the best criteria around which to prioritize prospecting calls.

Focus on leadership skills, rather than general sales management skills, when developing future managers internally.

“Hire the same successful salesperson every time.” (The Sales Hiring Formula) “Train every salesperson in the same way.” (The Sales Training Formula) “Hold our salespeople accountable to the same sales process.” (The Sales Management Formula) “Provide our salespeople with the same quality and quantity of leads every month.” (The Demand Generation

Social media presents an opportunity for all salespeople to be perceived as trusted advisors by their buyers. Salespeople should take some time normally spent prospecting and reallocate it to social media participation. The rewards are greater.

When setting up the sales process stages, it is best if the stages are aligned with the buying journey. Alignment with the buying journey increases the likelihood that the salesperson will be perceived as helpful through the process, as the next steps in the process between the buyer and salesperson are in sync.