Sales Prospecting Perspectives

Talking About My Generation And Yours

One of the most common ways we tend to define generational gaps today is by the way we think about B2B technology and how we let it influence our lives and our work. 

I can say that with some authority. Even though we here at Engage are advanced technology users in our daily work, at times I still find it a little mystifying how younger generations are using technology. (Can someone please explain to me the legitimate appeal of Snapchat?)

It’s okay to say no to chasing every trend that pops up in the digital zeitgeist, but you owe it to yourself and to the organization you lead to keep an open mind about how new technologies can help you improve your work as a B2B sales leader.

Seeing as this is the end of the year, I suspect many of you may be feeling what I like to call the “end-of-year blues.” It’s a positive time to be a consumer, especially if you are planning to buy a car, as you can often use this end-of-quarter or end-of-year blues to secure larger than normal discounts from desperate and starving sales reps.

For inside sales reps, on the one side, you’re getting the brush off from prospects who want to call you back next year instead. The end of a period is a time when your prospects have other fires burning bright. Often, they use those other priorities as an excuse to put buying decisions on hold – especially if you’re selling to publicly traded companies. “I need some more time,” “let me think about it” and “call me back next (month, quarter or year)” are three of the most frustrating phrases you’ll ever hear in sales.

Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest blog from Colleen Francis, 

After three years of selling products and services at the same prices, your company decides a change is in order. It’s time to make a few price increases to better reflect the current market and rising costs.

Of course, any time prices go up, sellers are bound to hear complaints from long-term customers. Some companies, in fact, believe regular clients should be exempt from price increases altogether, that there should be a reward for loyalty in the client relationship. And yet there are several other pricing methods that businesses employ as well.

The key factor in all these cases, of course, is providing advanced notice of your company’s plans. Pricing surprises are never a good thing in sales!