Octane Results: Sales

Fill Your Pipeline in December

4 December, 2014

By Caryn Kopp, “Chief Door Opener” at Kopp Consulting and an EO New Jersey member

Why spend the last two weeks of December cleaning out files when you could be filling next year’s pipeline with new business? Most business owners and salespeople believe that trying to reach prospects at the end of the year is pointless and spend time getting organized for the coming year instead. But by doing this, they miss out on one of the best times of the year to reach key decision makers. Here’s what we’ve learned about prospecting in December:

Categories: Best Practices Entrepreneurial Journey FINANCES Productivity Sales

Tags: advice best practices lessons learned tips

Getting From “Not Now” to “Let’s Get Started!”

11 November, 2014

By Caryn Kopp, “Chief Door Opener” at Kopp Consulting and an EO New Jersey member

It was 4:00pm on a Thursday and I was sitting in my car outside Starbucks. It had been one of those days. Phone call followed by phone call followed by meetings and then more phone calls. I had one more call to go. One call standing in between me and a latte. The call was with Andrea, a prospect I met a few months back. She said to me, “Caryn, I can close a sale most of the time when I’m in front of the right prospects. I just can’t get in front of enough of the right prospects! Can you help?” I told her she came to the right place and we could help her get in the door with difficult to reach decision makers.

Categories: Best Practices FINANCES Lessons Learned Sales

How Well Do You Treat Your Internal Customers?

4 November, 2014

By Shep Hyken, an EO St. Louis member and Chief Amazement Officer at Shepard Presentations

If your company’s goal is to deliver an excellent customer experience, you must first embrace the concept of internal customer service. What is happening on the inside of the organization will define the type of customer experience that is presented to the outside. The company culture must form a firm foundation for customer service. Here’s an interesting concept:

Categories: LEADERSHIP members Sales

Tags: EO St. Louis Internal customers Shep Hyken Shepard Presentations

Keep ’em Coming Back

7 October, 2014

Jonathan Crandall, president of Crandall & Co. Inc. and a member of EO Boston

It is interesting how companies sometimes value a new customer over a loyal, repeat customer. The thought of bringing in a new, bigger sale makes everyone smile, but what if so much energy is focused on that new sale that the company loses sight of its extremely important and profitable existing customers?

Categories: Best Practices LEADERSHIP Lessons Learned Sales

Sales Tips: How to Use Better “Tie Downs”

25 September, 2014

By , special to Overdrive

You’ve probably heard that nothing identifies you more as a salesperson than using the clichéd greeting, “How are you today?” right? Prospects know immediately who is calling, and they can’t wait to get you off the phone. You know what else identifies you as a salesperson? Using any of the following worn-out “tie downs”:

Categories: FINANCES Guest contributors Sales

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization Mike Brooks Sales Tips

Your Digital Brand Needs to Stop Yelling and Start Listening

12 September, 2014

By Jon MacDonald, founder and president of The Good, and member of EO Portland

This may come as a shock but on the other side of the screen displaying your website is a human being. Not a user, a visitor or a hit, but a real, “live” human being with a specific task in mind. This person has come to your website to accomplish this task, and if your web website is optimized to help them, not only do you “win,” but your customer “wins,” as well.

Shake Up Your Business Model

14 August, 2014

By Scott Skinger an EO Chicago Elumni and president of Train Signal, Inc.

Last year, my information technology training company, TrainSignal, was raking in profits. Since I first bootstrapped the company 10 years ago, we had managed to grow our revenues every year, and have been profitable since 2003. That’s when I decided to transform TrainSignal from a DVD model to an online SaaS subscription model. Making the switch, I knew we stood to potentially lose hundreds of thousands of dollars for up to a year. But like many entrepreneurs out there, I first founded my company with a crystal clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish.

Categories: Best Practices Entrepreneurial Journey FINANCES Lessons Learned PR/MARKETING Sales

Tags: business model Elumni entrepreneurs' organization eo EO Chicago inc Scott Skinger Train Signal

Safeguard Against Major Loss with Diversification

13 August, 2014

By David Goldfarb, an EO South Florida member and president of PrimeTime Amusements

I recently read a quote: “A business these days is a volatile thing…There might be no way to insure that your business will never be without problems or down turns, but there are a few tactics that might help to safeguard it against a major loss. One of these tactics is diversification.”

For me and my team at PrimeTime Amusements, a global operator, seller and renter of video arcade machines and simulators based in South Florida, this tactic of diversification has been critical.

Categories: Best Practices Entrepreneurial Journey FINANCES Lessons Learned Sales

Tags: David Goldfarb diversification entrepreneurs' organizatio eo EO South Florida PrimeTime Amusements

I Landed the Investment of My Dreams … Now What?

15 July, 2014

Gen George, an EO Sydney member and CEO of One-Shift, an online jobs network cthat aters to more than 300,000 jobseekers in Australia and New Zealand.

You know that saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? Yeah, I get it now. About a year ago, my staffing startup—One-Shift—achieved the biggest win in its short history: We secured a US$5-million deal with Programmed, a local staffing and facility management firm.

It felt like the ultimate accomplishment after devoting so much energy into attracting an investor, and we were ready for a long and prosperous future. But after the well-deserved celebrations came to an end, I was left wondering what steps to take next. We landed the investment partner of our dreams … now what?

Categories: Best Practices LEADERSHIP Partnerships Sales

Tags: best practices entrepreneurs' organization eo sydney finance gen george investment lessons learned management partnership tips

Remember: Your Janitor is Also Your Salesperson

27 June, 2014

As a global thought leader on entrepreneurship, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) partners with leading voices on better business around the world. Recently, our partnership with Inc.com produced an article by EO Detroit’s Vladimir Gendelman, founder and CEO of Company Folders. Read his article below, which was yesterday:

Think only your salespeople sell? Think again!

Not everyone is cut out to be a superstar salesperson. It requires dexterous communication skills and a knack for negotiation–talents that not every employee necessarily has. But even if they work in accounting, maintenance, or manufacturing, employees at every level of your company can end up impacting sales in ways that you might not have considered. Here are four ways your employees can make–or break–a sale.

Categories: Best Practices Partnerships Sales

Tags: company folders employees entrepreneurs' organization eo eo detroit inc.com management partnership sales vladimir gendelman

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Octane Results: Sales