Blog entries

An A-Team moment

Jamie Hancox — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:43:45 +0100

It doesn't happen all the time, but occasionally we do some great work which has benefits for all (including is - directly).

Today I received the following email (names removed - apart from John's!)

Hi Jamie,

I'd like to talk to someone about telesales options to support our sales lead generation. I got your details from Louise of Sentiment Metrics - I asked who they used for sales after being really impressed by a s...

From consulting to services

Jamie Hancox — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:58:17 +0100

As a sales consulting business ourselves we are pretty well qualified to comment upon the ability of management consultants to plan their service offerings...

Frankly, we've never worked for a consulting business who has a really well worked model to gradually turn consulting into a services-based relationship with a client that "never" ends.

The problem is with the upfront sale.

We work hard to develop propositions for our clients where there is an "annuity" that pokes o...

Only do what you're good at

Jamie Hancox — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:39:02 +0100

A while ago I blogged about why I don't believe salespeople are the answer any more... I've changed my mind.

Earlier this year we helped a client find the perfect Sales Director. I won't embarrass anyone by naming names, but suffice to say that Leads were not the company's issue - but sales process and good internal resource to qualify and close leads were.

Having found the right person, helped with a sales process, we then engage again, now because in order to grow the client n...

The wrong way round...

Jamie Hancox — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

I'm constantly asked how we go about qualifying the appointments that we generate. Do we do it before we pitch the person? Is it a process that takes a good deal of time? How far can one go with qualification (see previous blog entry)?

What has become evident 6 years into this business, is that almost everyone expects us to do the qualification the wrong way round. In other words, qualify the prospect and THEN if they are still in the game pitch them.

Let's put ourselves in the prospect's ...

Pre-Qualification - the cowards way?

Jamie Hancox — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

When we start the process of working on a new Lead Generation project, the single biggest issue to gain agreement over is qualification. What represents a lead? Is the contact senior enough to have budget? Does the company have a real need?

When I speak about this to clients and our own team, I often liken the process of arranging a first meeting to that of asking a girl (or boy) out on a date.

Now in my dating days in the UK (1980's) we just used to get slightly tipsy...

The bad first meeting

Jamie Hancox — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

A few months ago a consulting client of ours sat in a review meeting we were having with a face like thunder. It was 2.30 in the afternoon and he had attended a sales meeting which we had generated that very morning. Now whilst sales is a messy business I was pretty sure that the morning's meeting had been very well researched and arranged by our team. So, I sat in trepidation waiting to ask him what was wrong. Now I should at this point make it clear that this is a very fair and...

We call it "Phone Shy"

Jamie Hancox — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

In the land of making sales appointments there is one quality that matters above all else - courage.

At any time in your life, making a phone call to someone you don't know, trying to make a human connection and deliver a business pitch at the same time, is very very scary. You can be Richard Branson making that call, but if you're cold calling the pope it's still scary.

To be frank, I'm not only talking about cold calling here. I remember a recent conversation with a 'grown...

Why Sales People Are Not The Answer

Administrator — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100

About this Blog:

This blog starts as all things commercial nowadays - as an attempt to get the Buyingtime website up the Google rankings.

Suffice to say that I'm now rather looking forward to spouting forth about sales... after 20 years of success and failure, fear and celebration, nerves and large cheques (and small / no cheques) I have quite a lot to offer as a life experience.

Moreover, I'm a convert to the idea that most sales activities are better carried out...