remember to STRETCH BEFORE you start running

In TeleSales – stretching is critical. What is stretching in TeleSales? you ask…

Stretching = Preparation

The first sales trainer I met once described the phenomenon of “getting ready, to get ready” – that is NOT what we are talking about. Take a good look at yourself and ask: is this preparation OR procrastination?

Stretching as preparation doesn’t mean you spend HOURS & HOURS finding out about every suspect and prospect in your account base! Rather have a clear understanding of your top accounts & top prospects.

Once that is accomplished – extrapolate what you know and determine how you can make educated guesses in other accounts; what is true for one airline is probably true in another… challenges in manufacturing tend to look the same – regardless of what widgets they make… of course if you’re selling into a vertical market this shift from one account to another is MUCH simpler.

As for those prospecting calls – try this quick tip:

• type the company name into your favorite search engine (mine is google)
• click on their version of the ‘news’ filter (check the upper left corner in google – web/images/videos/maps/news/…)
• use the news info you find on the call to spark valid business conversations

Need to know about a specific contact? – try this quick tip:

• type the contact name AND LinkedIn into your favorite search engine to see what comes up
• you can also go directly to LinkedIn of course!

Remember that stretching is valid preparation – sitting on your couch watching the Boston Marathon on tv isn’t! Make sure your preparation doesn’t become an excuse for call reluctance OR procrastination.