Are you still selling to strangers? This might sound like an odd statement to say to originators who are tasked with generating business any way they can including doing business with people they don’t know. Instead, what I am talking about is that in today’s sales environment, there is no reason to make cold calls […]
Are You Still Selling to Strangers? Read More »
In my sales training sessions, every participant seems to understand how important it is to service the customer well in order to get referrals. Originators certainly know that service levels drive the likelihood of repeat business. But, it still surprises me how many salespeople fail to deliver a great customer experience. The devil is in the
How Originator Quality Impacts Customer Experience Read More »
In my sales training sessions, on how to improve referral source relationships, many originators report that they have a strictly transactional relationship with their sources. In my view, this is a classic “taker” strategy. “Takers” act out of self-interest in order to get as much out of others as possible. These producers view their
The Key to Great Referral Source Relationships Read More »
In my sales training classes, I ask students: “Is everyone your potential customer?” Many originators will say “Yes” but the truth is everyone is not your potential customer for the simple reason that every sales person has a sweet spot where certain customers and referral sources are a better match than others. Frankly, being a
Why Niche Marketing is the Best Sales Strategy Read More »
At a recent leadership conference, I asked who makes up an originator’s customer base. It might seem obvious that producers know who their priority customers are, but you would be surprised at the answers I received when speaking on this topic. Most originators think it is borrowers while top producers view referral sources as their
Who Are Originators’ Priority Customers? Read More »
In reviewing sales originators’ pipelines, it is clear to me that better performers originate business from more referral sources than poorer performers. This doesn’t matter whether it is a retail or third-party originator — the trend is consistent. In the past, originators could make their budgeted goals with just a handful of referral sources. Today,
What is the Minimum Number of Referral Sources? Read More »
When training originators, part of my preparation is to view students’ LinkedIn profiles so I am familiar with their backgrounds. Time and time again, what I see are profiles that are poor or unprofessional with photos that might include the salesperson’s wedding day or his or her pets. This may seem funny but I find
The Little Things Really Matter in Sales Read More »
A recent New York Times article discussed the virtual reality technology that Halstead, a leading real estate developer, has invested in to provide a realistic walk around its new building construction. Matthew J. Leone, senior vice president of digital marketing for Terra Holdings, Halstead’s parent company, noted, “We sell based on emotion and attaching that
Have We Reached the End of Open Houses? Read More »
Who owns the customer? This question might sound simple but the answer is really the crux of winning in the information age. Of course, sales will say originators own the customers because they are the front-line interface with consumers and referral sources and deliver the quality of the customer’s experience. On the other hand,
How to Thrive in a Customer-Centric Economy Read More »
As we move into a more difficult sales environment with the Fed lifting-off in the next few months, having a sales system based on best practices is more important than ever. In my consulting engagements, I rarely see sales organizations consistently sharing what has worked in origination. Instead, originators are left to “do their own
Is Your Sales System Based on Best Practices? Read More »
