by Kraig Kleeman
Publisher / Chairman
Sales professionals represent the front line for finding, pursuing, and ultimately transacting business. It is rare, however, that such professionals possess a tenable plan to fruitfully target and penetrate appropriate buyers. As human nature often falls to mediocrity, sales professionals tend to rest on the potential of an existing/installed account base with the hopes of upgrades and new purchases to achieve revenue goals at the expense of searching for new client opportunities. Most sales teams have experienced extensive product training, but are they utilizing the proper process and methodology to find new business opportunities?
Our research indicates that sales people are ill-equipped to wage productive cold-calling campaigns. In the context of cold-calling, most sellers do not operate within the framework of a proven methodology. Our research shows that most sellers operate blindly and without structure. While our study found a variety of challenges, the single biggest challenge identified was that sellers incorporate introductory statements that are product-benefit based, and they are out of step with the culture. As such, they fail miserably at building pipelines through productive cold-calling.
Blaire Group analysts have observed 3,640 cold-call presentations across twenty (20) different document automation sales organizations in the last 18 months. We systematically documented all aspects of each cold-call presentation, and we have created a variety of cold-calling checklists for close examination.
How does an Industry Benchmark Project Work?
It starts out with an observation period. Select members of your sales team will be call-prepped and have a list of 50 targets on-hand for easy access. Our Analyst will arrive at your sales office and observe your select team members make multiple cold-call presentations on the telephone. Our Analyst will listen-in on both sides of the presentation, i.e. seller and target dialog. Our Analyst will comprehensively document each call with abundant detail. Items like call preparedness, introductory messaging effectiveness, objection management skills, voice mail greeting techniques, etc will documented, analyzed, and compared against industry averages. Your team's score will include a blended performance of all team members observed. Your Analyst will present the results via a Findings Report that identifies areas of strength as well as areas for improvement. Qualified recommendations will be made, as necessary.
How do I Detemine if My Team Would Benefit from an Industry Benchmark Project?
Our Analyst will meet with you and assess your environment to help determine how a Benchmark Project would benefit you and your organization.
What do the Checklists and Scorecards Measure?
We have identified a variety of key metrics that are presented in four (4) separate checklists and scorecards. Below are samples of two checklists, though not comprehensive.
Talk-Time Quaity, Sample Checklist
- Call Preparation
Actual: 60% Plan: 100%
- Introductory Messaging
Actual: 0% Plan: 100%
- Usage of Product-Benefit Statements
Actual: 0% Plan: 0%
- Objection Management / Refutation
Actual: 23% Plan: 100%
- Voice Mail Greeting Techniques & Results
Actual: 0% Plan: 90%
- Administrator-Connects
Actual: 15% Plan: 15%
- Target-Connects
Actual: 15% Plan: 15%
- Callback Percentage
Actual: 0% Plan: 35%
- Meetings Scheduled as a Percentage of Dials
Actual: 3% Plan: 10%
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