Welcome Salespeople on Twitter!

Hey! I’m looking to gather a group of committed salespeople on Twitter where we share with one another our daily goals, disciplines and success. Maybe that seems a little crazy, but if we can work it out, it will be a very beneficial thing! I do sales work that many others struggle with, but I am very much at peace with it. Hanging out with me and others like me, might help you meet your activity goals. You are not alone! I am a salesman too – but especially, I am a sales prospector. I reach out to find new and interested potential buyers almost every day. Ultimately, I try to improve people’s lives with the products I sell. The more people I help, the more my business grows. I’m assuming that’s true for you also!

Keeping Activity on Track

Many salespeople have a hard time staying on track with their activity (i.e. the number of calls they make or letters they send, etc.). If you could see through a window into my world, I can show you that it’s not all that difficult to keep activity going. In fact, I actually enjoy this type of work! If you watch me “lead by example,” you’ll see that it’s not so hard to maintain systematic, disciplined outreach to new customers. There are challenges, yes, but they can be overcome. The more successful your prospecting is, the more successful your business will be. Cracking the code of prospecting can lead to a lifetime of sales success, so it’s worth the effort. Further, anyone can learn how to engage in successful prospecting no matter their background.

Prospecting is Like Marathon Running

If you spend time with me, you’ll hear lots of analogies – here’s a quick one: Sales and prospecting activity can be likened to watching a marathon runner and wondering how in the world they put up with all that running. After a while, serious runners gain a harmony with running instead of concentrating on every grueling step they take. They look past the labor of running and see the world around them. By transforming what begins as a relatively arduous activity, they get to experience an outdoors (that most other people sleep through), crisp early mornings, sunrises, fresh spring air, the air before it snows or the air after a thunderstorm, etc. – you get the idea.

When I prospect it’s like going to a home run derby. The pitches go by, and I swing. Some pitches I miss, but others I knock out of the park. It is, as people have said over and over again, a game of averages.

Join our community, share you numbers. Let’s move forward together!

Below are some guidelines about how I prospect and report my numbers on Twitter. Day to day, I call different lists that yield different results. Message me with any questions you might have. Join in!

Prospecting Lists

All my sales are business-to-business, and I call three basic lists currently.

Primary List – The first list I call is my “primary list.” This list consists of brand new “cold” people whom I have never called before and a mix of people I have called in the past, but have not had much forward progress. This is (oddly enough) my favorite list to call. There are no high expectations, just a relaxed outreach and it is my lowest stress list. Many folks might flip that perspective over and call this list the highest stress list. Hang out with me long enough, and you’ll see how your perspective can change! This list has been pre-screened, duplicate searched, do-not-call checked and is completely ready to go before any calling begins. After 8:00 it’s show time. No prep work can be done then – or you’ll never get through with calling. All lists are set and ready to go before any calling begins.

Plus List – The second list is a group of prospects that I have been able to qualify in a meaningful way in the past, I have never met with them or done any work for them, but I know (or, I have learned through prior work) that they are in my target market. These people are well qualified (for the most part). So much so, that they made it to the upgraded list. In other writing I have done, I refer to these people as my “Plus List.” One significant characteristic of these particular Plus Listings is that they have defined follow-up dates. These are dates that I know (or, I have a reason to believe) that they are considering what I have to sell.

Top List – This list consists of people I have quoted or worked with before. Many of these folks have spoken to me several times and, basically, now already know me. 98% plus of these prospects were initially “cold” but, after years of patient cultivation and development, they have now become very warm. Most of these folks have met with representatives from my company before, some on several occasions. This is far and away my most productive list. I get insanely high response percentages from it when compared to other lists (i.e. from both a prospecting and a sales percentage).

My goal for all other prospects is that they one day make the “Top List.” If I could say one negative thing about this list it’s that this is my hardest list to call. The expectations are higher, the focus is elevated – and the people now know me. I have to remember them (all in my computer, but still…) and be able to pick up where we left off. It’s a funny thing, but sometimes it’s a lot easier just to meet new people (i.e. to call the primary list). Probably some introverted elements of my personality showing through. Other folks would think I’m crazy for feeling this way and would see it all from the completely opposite perspective.

Twitter Update Terms Defined

I’m trying to create a uniform update format for Twitter that will make sense to everyone who is following this. When I report my numbers I’m currently using some of the following terms;

“200 b2b outbound by 12:00. See you at lunch!”

This means I’m starting calls (usually between 8:00 and 8:30am). My goal is to make 200 calls by noon. A schedule like this means I’m probably calling my primary list. My Top list (due to all the longer conversations), would take me all day to make 200 calls.

At the end of calls I might send a message:

“Done! 53 resets, 2 new quotes, 14 future follow ups, 12 new leads.”

A “reset” is a reconfirmation of a previous prospect. This means their information has been reconfirmed in my database due to a call I made that day.

A “new quote” is a finished lead. This is someone who is interested now, and who gave me enough information to prepare a proposal and is expecting to hear back from me or my company. This is a current lead –Yahoo! Hooray! Victory!

A “future follow-up,” in time an “ff,” is a prospect from whom I have collected a future follow-up date. This usually means the prospect is added to the Plus List.

A “new lead” is a primary listing who, earlier in the day, was a totally unqualified prospect on the primary list, but now is being added to the Plus List. The distinction between a future follow up and a new lead may be a little confusing perhaps, but go with it for now. It makes sense on a mature prospecting list as it differentiates between types of primary lead sources.

Your Twitter Terms

If these terms don’t work for you, let me know. I want to create a uniform reporting method that everyone understands and can work with. This will take some time. Message me back if you have an idea on this. Reach out to other salespeople too! Let’s work together to keep our activity going in the right direction. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

Ted