Top Sales Library - a resource of all things sales

Joanne Black

Do You Have Technology Tunnel Vision?

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If you’re always looking at a screen, you’re missing out on your life. How many friends do you have? Not online “friends.” I mean real friends—people you truly care about and who are actually part of your life, not just your social networks. Technology addiction is running rampant in today’s society. We spend more time… Read More

Do Your Leads Suck?

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You’re looking for a sales qualified lead in all the wrong places. Sales is like dating. It’s all about relationships. You have to decide what you’re looking for in the perfect mate (or prospect), and then figure out the best way to meet that person (or sales qualified lead). Imagine you’re single and looking for… Read More

Does “Call Reluctance” Prevent You from Asking for Referrals?

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What are salespeople so afraid of? “I think I’ve told you before that I have a mild-to-moderate case of call reluctance.  Even warm opportunities I’m following up on create anxiety.” I was a little surprised to receive this email from Sam, a sales and marketing pro with years of experience. In theory, someone who talks… Read More

Don’t Confuse “Target Market” with “Ideal Client”

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Sales and marketing play different roles in lead generation. It’s not marketing’s job to identify and nurture your ideal clients, or to convert them into qualified prospects. Your marketing colleagues can certainly help. They have already identified the company’s target markets, which is half the battle. But within that targeted group is a smaller, much… Read More

Every Sale Should Be THIS Easy

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With referral selling, the hard part is over before you ever speak to prospects. “How can you help me?” asked Jim, my prospect. He’d been explaining an exciting referral initiative he was rolling out around the country. While it seemed to be working great, he still wanted to know how I could contribute. At first… Read More

How to Get Past the Gatekeeper

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The gatekeeper is not your enemy. Cold calling is. Much has been written about how to get past the gatekeeper, and many salespeople believe that gatekeepers are the source of all their prospecting  woes. Apparently, receptionists and executive assistants are all that stand between cold callers and would-be clients, and salespeople have been convinced that… Read More

How to Get Prospects to Call You Back

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If no one’s returning your calls, you must be cold calling. I see you. I know who’s calling. If I don’t recognize the name or number on my screen, I won’t answer. I’ll wait for you to leave a message, but you won’t. No one leaves a message when they’re just cold calling a list. They’re… Read More

How to Get Referrals and Finally Conquer Your Fear

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Asking for referrals feels riskier than cold calling. “I’m not sure why, but I have never been comfortable asking for referrals.” That comment was from a 20-year sales veteran, the kind of seasoned pro who should know how to get referrals, and given this person’s track record, should feel confident about asking. I wasn’t surprised…. Read More

How to Win New Clients from Lost Deals

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Referrals might be the silver lining for account-based sales reps when good clients walk away. I have been in B2B sales so long that I’ve probably forgotten more deals than I remember. I know how to win new clients. Just as importantly, I’ve learned how to turn a loss into a win, either by reflecting… Read More

I Don’t Want Your Deck

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Don’t overwhelm your customers with too much information. I met Charles on LinkedIn. I liked his profile—and the fact he sent me a personal invitation—so I accepted the connection, and we started a conversation. I was intrigued by his offering and wanted to learn more, so we spoke on the phone. By the end of… Read More

If You Aren’t Building Relationships Your Perfect Pitch Will Always Be Wild.

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Apologies for the baseball metaphor. In San Francisco we’re a little pre-occupied at the moment (Go Giants!) If you missed Dreamforce 2014, don’t make the same mistake next year. This was my third year attending Salesforce’s annual technology tradeshow, and I can’t understand how anyone in sales would miss it. Yet salespeople still ask me… Read More

Introductions All Around: It’s Time for Online to Meet Offline

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Social networking isn’t social enough. As Woody Allen famously said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Showing up counts—in life and in sales. So does being present and contributing. We show up in many different ways—online, offline, at work, with family, with friends, and when volunteering. Showing up means you become involved. You contribute, you… Read More

Is Asking for Referrals on Social Media Rude?

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LinkedIn is a place to build relationships, not ask for referrals. Far too many sales teams get social selling all wrong. Reps click buttons to invite people to connect, spam them with sales pitches, and even start asking for referrals. (Where’s the “hello”? Where’s the conversation?) Invite me to connect on LinkedIn without a personal… Read More