Posted by Dave Blackburn on Tue, May 26, 2009
Tags: sales, sales force, sales executives, salesforce improvement, customer, customer buying phases, sales tools, sales methodology, sales success, sales philosophy, B-to-B, selling, Saleperson, Trust, Leads, survey, partnership, activity, relationships, salesperson, partnerships
ELA's lead generation survey results are in! Nearly all respondents are from or with sales organizations where they are responsible for the relationship or partnership with their customers. Everyone expects salespeople to generate new leads, every month.
The best return on time invested included local networking/public speaking and asking for referrals. Over 80% thought the lead generation approach used was vital or important to developing trust.
Respondent advice on lead generation ideas sorted into four primary buckets.
- 1) Reward lead generation activity as part of overall sales process
- 2) Focus on the Customer in all interactions
- 3) Be professional including making and keeping commitments to prospects
- 4) Always provide value by knowing your product and value proposition
Since relationships are based on trust, then the lead generation approaches like asking for referrals, networking, and public speaking must cultivate trust between the prospect and the sales person. Let's create a list of tips for each approach that are both effective and build trust. I will post a short ELA RTG blog entry on each approach over the next few weeks. You can enhance the approach by adding your comments and ideas.
Thank you to all who participated.