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Prospecting Efforts

What An MBA Didn’t Teach You About Sales

The sales profession is challenging. You need to work hard at it to succeed. You need to learn from the best. You need to improve your skills continuously. If you think you can sell since you are a hit at parties and have a lot of friends, you may soon find that you are a failure as a salesperson. Blunt truth:

because the sales profession is so hard, you have to focus on doing everything in sales very well, or you will be considered a failure.

I call this blog, Skinned Knees because I try to relate all of the learning that I have done over the past 4+ decades (while skinning my knees in the learning process).

I hope that you learn from my mistakes so that your business will grow!

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – The Death of Cold Calling and the Rise of Relationship Selling – E119

Cold calling is dead—or so claims our guest, Ben Victorica, in this thought-provoking Two Tall Guys Talking Sales episode. Hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O’Shaughnessey dive deep with Ben into the challenges of modern sales pipelines and explore why traditional outreach methods are no longer effective. Together, they uncover how relationship selling, fueled by emotional intelligence and strategic connections, is reshaping the future of sales. Whether you’re a seasoned sales professional or just starting out,… Two Tall Guys Talking Sales – The Death of Cold Calling and the Rise of Relationship Selling – E119

Adapting to the New Sales Landscape: The Importance of Omni-Channel Outreach

Are you still relying on trade shows as your primary sales driver? The sales landscape has undergone a seismic shift. Those packed convention halls and endless rows of booths no longer serve as the bedrock of business development they once were.

Let’s talk about what works in today’s sales environment. Building an effective outbound pipeline isn’t just an option anymore – it’s your survival toolkit. But here’s the challenge: how do you stand out in a market where everyone’s fighting for attention?

Your unique value proposition makes all the difference. Yet many sales professionals miss a crucial point: your value proposition isn’t static. What resonates with a manufacturing client might fall flat with a distribution company. Have you tailored your message to address each industry’s pain points?

Think about your last prospecting campaign. Did you give up after four or five attempts? Research shows it takes 12 to 16 touches before prospects typically respond. This gap between persistence and practice often determines success or failure in modern sales.

The game has changed. Your prospects live in an omnichannel world. They check email between Zoom calls, scroll LinkedIn during lunch, and scan their phones throughout the day. How are you showing up in their digital world?

Consider this: every unanswered email or phone call might be a messaging problem. Are you talking about your features when you should be solving your prospects’ problems? Your prospects don’t care about your product specifications. They care about their challenges, their goals, and their bottom line.

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Balancing Act: Networking, Direct Prospecting, and Customer Referrals for Revenue Growth

Is your sales pipeline running dry? We’ve all been there.

Let me share a personal story that might resonate with you. After spending months securing a major deal, I found myself staring at an empty pipeline. The celebration of landing that giant whale quickly became a stark reality check. This experience taught me an invaluable lesson about sustainable sales growth.

Revenue generation isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about maintaining a consistent flow of opportunities. Your success depends on mastering the art of prospecting, yet many salespeople struggle with this fundamental skill. Are you dedicating enough time to building your pipeline, or are you caught in the feast-and-famine cycle?

The most effective sales professionals understand that prospecting isn’t a one-dimensional activity. Think of your prospecting strategy as a carefully orchestrated symphony, where different elements work together to create a harmonious result. Direct outreach and network-based approaches each play their unique roles in this composition.

Visualize a three-legged stool symbolizing the three-pronged approach to sales: networking and referrals, direct prospecting, and existing customers. Each of these legs supports growing your business and consistently achieving your revenue goals.

Consider how a software company might approach this dual strategy. While tracking metrics for direct outreach is straightforward, measuring networking success requires a different lens. How many new relationships have you cultivated? Which dormant connections have you rekindled? These indicators matter just as much as your cold call statistics.

I recently spoke with a consulting professional who shared an interesting perspective on networking metrics. Rather than counting sales pitches, he measures success by the number of times he naturally introduces his services in conversations. This subtle shift transforms aggressive selling into educational opportunities. Have you considered how this approach might work in your context?

Your prospecting strategy must align with your target audience’s expectations and behaviors. Waiting for inbound leads isn’t a strategy—it’s a recipe for inconsistent results. When you prospect through your network, the goal isn’t to ask for immediate business. Instead, you’re planting seeds for future opportunities through strategic introductions.

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