Obtaining leads

How do you obtain leads?

Companies put huge amounts of money into creating leads. In particular, online marketing is the magic word to approach potential customers. There are different ways to get leads, it depends on your business or goal you have in mind.

It is important to tailor your approach to your target audience and industry. Make sure you are providing content to have a valuable interaction with prospects. Ways to approach prospects and obtain leads I elaborate below.

First, the already mentioned online marketing. Consider channels such as social media, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click ads such as the well-known Google adds and e-mail marketing. All means of attracting potential customers. Here it is best to work with specialist marketing agencies. They have the expertise to properly target your audience.

In addition, of course, there is the already old networking. Regularly attend relevant events, conferences, and local networking groups to make contacts and generate leads. Think in advance about who you want to connect with during such an event. These can be immediate potential clients as well as people who are the entry point to an interesting organization.

Today also offers content marketing a great way to collect leads. Create valuable content such as blog posts, videos and e-books to capture the attention of potential clients and educate them about your expertise. It is important for your target audience to be able to form an opinion in advance about whether you are the right party to partner with.

Another powerful way for acquiring leads is to ask existing customers and business partners about your company recommendable to others. This, of course, can be done through a nice online review. Ask them to highlight your strengths and accomplishments in doing so, the more specific the better. It is even more valuable to make a specific request: “To whom in your network would you recommend me?”

Anthon Geersing, trainer, coach, training, coaching, sales, sales, trainer, education, Amersfoort, Hoogland, manager, management, learning, development, grow, impact, leads, networking, recommendations

Making acquisitions is a traditional but effective way to gather leads. Approach potential leads directly via email, phone contact or social media messages. Make sure your message is relevant and personal. Again, the more specific you are in your question or possible solution the more likely you are to have an exploratory conversation.

Finally, there is the relationship management. Using tools and software, give existing relationships of your company regular attention. A good customer database coupled with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a very valuable resource. By maintaining existing customers, you turn them into true ambassadors who speak positively about the relationship they have with you. Thus, they can be the source for obtaining new leads.

Personal skills

In facets such as networking, asking for recommendations, making acquisitions and, to some extent, relationship management, personal communication skills make the difference. Connecting with potential customers and asking the right inventory questions to generate interest determine the degree of success. If you are sufficiently proficient in that area, you will make the difference in successfully obtaining leads.

Amersfoort Content Newsletter

Amersfoort Content Newsletter

Amersfoort Content's newsletter covered our move.

A nice piece on the move of the SalesCenter, dhe collaboration with J Karel Brother and the connection to Autohopper Amersfoort.

Read here the entire article:

THE SALES CENTER HOUSES AT AUTOHOPPER AMERSFOORT!

Amersfoort, Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Since last week Anthon Geersing, Content member with The Sales Center, can be found at Nijverheidsweg Noord on the Isselt. At number 61, with fellow Content member Ben Zandvliet of Autohopper Amersfoort. ‘Yes, and we also got to know each other through Content. So it's basically a #content deal!’

The Sales Center training sales training sales training

Upon entering, there is a beautiful office space on the left side of the building. There Anthon, together with colleague Jan Karel Broer, will develop his trainings and activities. ‘Thanks to Content, I ended up here at the coffee table. Soon I noticed a click with Ben. We have a lot of common ground, including automotive. I indicated that I was looking for office space. Ben stood up, opened the door and said: ‘Isn't this something, then?’. I didn't have to think long about that!’

Doors are always open!

Ben hears it enough: ‘You know: my doors are always open to everyone. Besides, it's just fun for me. I like to expand my network and I notice that more and more people are finding their way here. Thanks to Anthon I will get to know even more people. And well, of course he can take a car away once in a while. Haha, no kidding. Like Anthon said: we have a click and if we can help each other this way, that's really cool, isn't it?’

Kingdom Systems

Also, Anthon is busy founding a new company: Kingdom Systems. ‘I am doing that together with Jan Karel Broer. I can't tell too much about it yet. It is a new company that will help entrepreneurs find smart digital solutions. Soon I will tell more about it, promise!’

On the road at Pluimers

Beginning in early 2021, training and coaching The SalesCenter the account team of Pluimers Insulation from Rijssen.

Plumers

Pluimers has been the party to do business with in the field of insulation for over 45 years. Both in the private and business market, insulation solutions are offered for homes, stables, stadiums, churches, cargo ships, etc. Meanwhile Pluimers belongs to the European top in its field! To stay at the top, the company invests in its employees. Commercial and communication skills are important to keep training.


Pluimers Insulation

Pluimers works with 2 sales departments. The private salespeople who come to consumers' homes. They give advice on various aspects of insulation. These include floor, cavity and roof insulation. Glass insulation is also part of the organisation's range of services.

There is also an account team for the business market. The latter group deals with larger projects and seeks cooperation with construction companies and municipalities. It is therefore important to look with the account team at ways to make a better connection with existing and new relationships. In order to achieve this, the choice was made to work with the ExploreMe test as a starting point. From there we look at the 5 pillars of the ZALVT principle. Through coaching and training, content is given to the development process.

Top Seller Down

Best top seller,

I saw you sitting in the showroom behind your desk. You didn't see me because you were busy on your cell phone. You had a tired expression on your face. Maybe you had just had a cancellation or the client delayed his order when you had expected to put it on paper today. Maybe you were bummed that your colleague further down the showroom did have clients and by the sound of it came to a deal. Either way you seemed done for the day.

I decided to leave you be. Perhaps you would recover later and come after me. If I showed that I was interested in the products you had on display maybe you would get excited. But even when I extensively looked at and tried on one of the models that I really liked, you didn't come my way.

I realized that I was looking at used models and you might be doing sales only for the new products. So if I went up to the second floor to look at the new models there you would naturally move. If I went up the stairs, right in front of your desk that would probably be the right tricker for you.

I walked around the showroom after coming upstairs. You didn't come after me yet. At least I got the opportunity to quietly look at all your products. Stickers told me that the products were locked for my safety and that if I wanted to see more, just say so. But, dear top salesman, you were not there to ask.

I suddenly heard the stairs creak. And just before I had seen all the products, you came up the stairs. There you came, now it was going to happen! I was going to see the top salesman in action! But I saw that you were looking at your watch with a big sigh. As if you wanted to make it clear that it was an extra effort for you that I had come in after 5:30 pm. Fortunately, you persevered and came up anyway.

I was near the opening of the stairs when you grabbed the last step. You looked at me. “Good afternoon,” you said and as you were already starting to walk around me you asked, “can I help you with something?” I was stunned did you, as a top salesman at a top brand in an A1 location, ask a closed question? And did you think I looked needy that you asked me if you could help me?

I picked myself up and answered your question. In my opinion, the answer you were hoping for. The answer that suited your mood and confirmed it. The answer that allowed you to get the location ready to close so you would be relieved in time and could go home.

“No thanks.”.

I know sometimes you can't have your day.

I know it can be difficult for you as a salesperson. I know that sometimes you can't have your day. And I understand that it can take effort to recharge to go for it again. The bow can't always be tight. So make sure you ask a colleague to make the first move because you just can't do it anymore. And at the same time be man enough that if it does come down to it. Take responsibility when a potential customer spontaneously shows up at your showroom. Let everything that has been in your way slip away. So that you are the top salesperson, for the customer, for the business and, above all, for yourself.

The computer reports: all lines are busy

Wonderful what the computer takes out of our hands. Discovering the whole world from the comfort of your armchair with one click as a true adventurer. Or ordering things from all over the world. And then to think of all the work that is taken out of our hands. For example, when we do want to call a company, we can hear an extremely friendly computer voice telling you that all the lines are busy. Fortunately, in between repeating this message, the computer then plays a wonderfully relaxing technically sophisticated tune of 4 tones.

Computer

The automatic answering by a computer of an incoming telephone line is not a strange fact. Yet people do not sufficiently realize that with such a computer you can personalize certain settings. A phone may ring a few times before a voice tells you that all lines are busy. And yes, you can also have such a voice say your company's name to welcome you as a calling customer.

It even seems to be possible, if you do make a customer wait on the line for 4 minutes, to let him hear something other than, “all lines are busy, we will help you as soon as possible.” So there are companies that use the nice phrase “the queues are longer than you are used to from us, we recommend you call back at another time”. By the way, that text is claimed by the companies you know in advance that you will probably be on hold for a long time so just be careful if you choose that setting.

customer contact computer customer service call acquisition customer customer customer is king

Perhaps some companies have made it too easy for themselves with the call computer. Therefore a call to all companies, who claim to provide telephone service, go back to basics. That is, the customer and the first impression given by the way he is addressed. Choice menus and automated voices are far from being customer friendly. It is too often a way to park the customer or to buy time before an employee actually answers a phone line. Voices that tell you the queue is longer than expected, in my opinion, say: we don't want to invest in customer contact so we offer you this sham solution. As a company, you don't want to say that to your customers, do you?

A company that invests in a multiple-choice solution wants its own no real customer contact!

And when you are told, after an extensive dial menu, that there are x-number of waiters for you....oef. Most computer-based solutions seem to focus on internal savings rather than investment in good customer contact. Is that the impression you want to give customers as a company?

The basics

So back to basics and find out what is the reason why customers contact your company. The main reasons are:

  1. Someone wants to become a customer and calls to buy a product or service.
  2. Someone is a customer and has a question about the service or product purchased.
  3. Someone is a customer and has a complaint about the service or product.

Surely someone who wants to become a customer somewhere, as a seller, you want to receive them with all honor, nurture good feelings and close a deal. At an upscale restaurant, they lay out the red carpet for such customers, because it is very important that the 1e impression the customer gets when contacting the company is correct. Indeed, how great would it be if we could raise customer expectations through the good 1e impression and instantly turn the customer into an ambassador for the company. So what do you show of yourself when you connect the potential customer with an impersonal computer?

Studies show that if someone is already a customer they need regular confirmation of a previously made choice.

Ambassador

Research shows that an existing customer regularly needs confirmation in a previously made choice. I'm with the right company or I have purchased the best who-must-have. Therefore, it is essential that there is a positive experience when contact is made. Again, if the impression is good and the expectation is exceeded, the company has an ambassador.

If someone calls with a complaint, it is important that the complainant be taken seriously as soon as possible. Making him click through menus and leave him on hold for a long time will increase the annoyance. Most likely, the person who actually gets to speak to the caller will get the charge over him. In fact, because of the time lost in a queue or menu of options, there is a chance that irritation will increase. In that case, the company does not gain an ambassador but someone who can start costing the company money. It takes a lot of the marketing budget to counter the negative statements. In addition to the frustrated customer, you have an employee who needs to be helped back on morale after such a phone call. That too costs money and effort.

It takes much of the marketing budget to counter the negative portrayals

Personal contact

This is why I am a great believer in personal contact with clients. At the same time, I realize that there may be circumstances where it is not always possible to fulfill this. Nevertheless, a number of solutions and good reasons can be identified in favor of personal contact.

It is common knowledge that it costs more to gain a new customer than to retain an existing one. A person who calls a company himself to buy a product or service is already almost in. All he has to do is get confirmation in the choice. In other words, minimal effort is required to make this caller a customer.

The other reason is that personal contact creates ambassadors for your company. Their expressions are more likely to be believed than an expensive slick advertisement. So entrepreneurs create ambassadors from the first contact moment.

And as for the solutions I am happy to share them with you. Are you interested in how to improve customer contact for your business? Give us a call or let us data behind Then we'll call you!

Relationship management or administration?

Salespeople are generally not the best administrators. Relationship management is too often seen as administration. “Not my thing,” I've heard colleagues say plenty of times in the past. “I have my clients in my head” or “I have a folder or bin where I keep my pending quotes. I look through that daily.” The fallacy that takes place here is that those salespeople in question are engaged in short-term politics. They mix up the terms relationship management and CRM system management.

Therefore, let us first define the terms.
Relationship Management is to actively maintain the relationship with the prospect or customer. The goal is to ensure that an almost inseparable bond is created between salesperson and customer. This ensures that the purchase is made in good harmony. At the same time that future purchases could be taken for granted.

CRM system management Is working with customer relationship management system. In other words, the computer system that should enable the salesperson to run their relationship management efficiently. The system should be supportive of the salesperson. Making it easier for him to have a good conversation record of what was discussed between the salesperson and the customer. And at what point the salesperson should logically approach the customer again. It helps the salesperson function proactively.

Vendors want convenience so offer it to them

Often CRM systems are complex and salespeople lack knowledge of them. Thus, capturing conversations is perceived more as a burden than an advantage. Salespeople then experience the recording as a must. They do not see the benefits of proper reporting and follow-up and then start to frustrate the system. The result is that they end up having themselves with it because what you put into a system comes out. So shit in is shit out.

Commercial companies should invest much more in properly training their salespeople in the proper way to use the CRM systems. Furthermore, it is important that the developers of the CRM systems become more flexible in setting them up. Sales reps want convenience so offer them this too. Why are many CRM systems e.g. still mainly suitable for a desktop environment while every salesperson walks around with a smartphone? If the sales rep could work in an app environment, he could, while getting coffee, make his notes or read them back while his customer is waiting for him.

I am convinced that every salesperson wants to record their prospect's data if they know that this will help them get an order. How this is done should simply become less like administration and more a step toward a future potential customer relationship from which a lot of sales can be derived.

For your organization, are you also looking for the translation for your sales team between customer relationship management and the added value that your CRM system provides?

Then the Sales Center has the ability to provide the right guidance in this.

Speaking is silver...

Speaking or remaining silent?

The adage speaking is silver and silence is gold seems so at odds with the sales profession. You often hear, “He talks so easily, really a salesman.” And the term “sales talk” doesn't come out of the blue, either. Yet the adage does apply to the salesperson. I dare say that any salesman who keeps talking does not even get to silver and remains stuck at bronze. If his talking manages to get him across the finish line that way at all.

...Any salesman who keeps talking won't even get to silver and is stuck at bronze....

Early in my sales career, I personally found that I would have been better off remaining silent as a salesperson. Indeed, I would not have been far off the mark.

This happened:
There was a customer who was very interested in a nice used car we had on display. I had appraised the trade-in car and made him an offer. Sir made a counter-proposal which in itself was not crazy but was higher than my decision-making authority at the time. The consultation with my sales manager was short-lived. I was given permission to sell the car for the customer's proposal.

Because I thought you should be able to negotiate, I came back to my client with a counter-proposal. I suggested meeting halfway between his and my proposal and thus doing deal. Whatever arguments I made, the man didn't budge and stuck to his offer. I, stubborn as I was, even let it get to the point where the gentleman got up from the table and indicated, “You know my offer, just call me if you want to do it.” He walked away to his car.

At that time, I had a challenge. My sales director had given me the green light and wanted the car sold and I was letting the customer walk. There was nothing I could do but go after the customer and let him know that I could do the deal based on his offer. When I met the customer he was already in his car where I politely knocked on his window. After he opened the door I was able to give him the redeeming answer, “My sales manager agrees with your proposal, we would like to sell you the car at your price.” The man's reaction surprised me, for he said, “I knew that! Just prepare the papers I will come by this afternoon to sign.”

I knew that....

I knew that, I knew that? How could sir possibly know that he would get his price? He didn't have access to our purchase prices, the Internet to compare didn't exist yet, and my arguments had been substantiated. So how could he know?

Fortunately, by almost losing the order, I had lost my stubbornness. When Sir came to sign the papers I asked him the question of how he could know I could do the deal at his price. The answer he gave may have been the best sales lesson I have had.

sales Sales manager Account manager Sales leader Leadership Sales manager Manager Commercial communication Commercial director Acquisition Sales team Lead Lead Lead generation Customer finder Customer binder Sales team Effective Success Sales plan Sales strategy SalesStrategy Training Sales training Development Development Growth Talent Explore me Self-innovation Alliances Forming alliances Showing courage Connecting Thought leadership Amersfoort Sales growth sales team focus my sales strategy boxx insulationcentral, anthon geersing

Sir told me that his business regularly required him to purchase large machines for large sums of money. He said, “I learned that when the salesman keeps talking he is not at his bottom yet. He still has margin and something to give. Otherwise he would get up and leave because there is nothing left to gain. You did the same thing. You kept talking and couldn't and wouldn't stop the conversation yet. So I knew enough.” The extra discount I had to give Mr., in my experience, more than made the money. I have internalized the lesson of silence and applied it in negotiations with my clients.

I have mastered the lesson of silence and applied it at appropriate times in contact with my clients.

Are you also curious about how to turn the power of silence into gold in your own sales pitch?

If so, contact the Sales Center for a closer look.

Schedule your introductory meeting here

A pile of wood as a life lesson?

Have you ever made a pile of firewood? I have. The other day I had 2 cubic meters of wood brought in to fire the stove in our living kitchen. The advantage of handling that much wood is that it gets you hot twice. First to get it all in a nice pile and then when you start firing.

Sometimes it means taking what has been learned and stacking it up again for a while so that it becomes a solid whole again.

The blocks of wood I received were all different shapes. Some a little shorter, others longer. Some round and others all different angles. It is not easy to make a nice whole out of such a diverse quantity. On top of that, you have to shape the pile so that it doesn't topple over at the first breath of wind.

Synonym

As I was processing the wood, I realized that all these different blocks could be synonymous with what we are taught in terms of life lessons. If all goes well, your parents once started teaching you what you needed. Assuming there were grandparents, they also interfered with you with all kinds of good advice. The lessons of your first kindergarten teacher were sacred to you. Gradually you came into contact with adults, friends and new teachers who all taught you things in their own way. You learned every day.

The trick is to make all that has been taught into something personal. Sometimes it means turning what you have learned upside down and stacking it again so that it becomes a solid whole again. That takes effort and it can get pretty hot. It can also mean burning things from the past. That too generates heat but doing it does make it a lot more comfortable for you. It gives space and it provides opportunities to add other blocks of information. Properly considered, you always stay with what you are taught. It is important that you have or get a solid foundation so that you can firmly build on that which is taught to you.

The Sales Center likes to offer customization and realizes that sometimes it is essential to examine learned behavior. Perhaps together we can turn the whole thing upside down and lay a good foundation on which you can build existing and new elements. We will undoubtedly burn some elements and yes, that will make you hot, but at the same time it will also make you more comfortable.

Leadership begins with yourself!

There are many insights about leadership. What is leadership at its core?

According to Wipikedia is this:

What Wipikedia describes here is that there is usually a relationship between leadership and a position. In other words leadership is hung up on a position in a work environment or a place where a group of people are active and where the group is influenced by the leader,. In my opinion, this is a meager reflection of what leadership actually means. Because the question is to what extent you as a person are able to influence the other. Do you know what to do to influence the other person?

Covey

In his book “the seven traits of effective leadership” Stephan Covey discusses personal leadership at length. In summary, it is first about yourself and leading yourself before getting to the second stage of leading others. Covey writes that it is possible to appeal to our self-awareness, imagination and conscience. By focusing on these and making changes, we are only able to expand our circle of influence. In other words, that is leading ourselves.

Leadership begins with ourselves.

An example to clarify what is meant by this. Suppose you are married. With you and your partner the sparks are no longer flying and you want to change that for the better? So you start a conversation together. That is wise but there is a chance that the conversation will not achieve what you have in mind. When you start looking at the situation from your self-awareness, you can regain a grip on the situation. You start to imagine how you would like the relationship to go. And in doing so, you imagine how your partner reacts to certain things. In doing so, you can go so far as to form an image of what you would say or do. All aimed at getting the other person to change the atmosphere in a positive way. Now that you know this from your imagination, you can decide to make the necessary change in yourself. The impact on yourself and the change you make will become noticeable in the other person.

The impact on yourself and the change you make will become noticeable in others.

Change

So leadership begins with ourselves. If we want to lead another person somewhere, we ourselves will have to have a picture of what steps we need to take to get to where we want to get out. In essence, you see that which the others do not yet see. For some, it is enough when as a leader you tell them the end goal. The listeners are independently able to reach that goal. For others, you start with Step 1 and lay out the path step by step before you get to the end goal. Sometimes you tell what is needed and other times you can create movement by asking the right questions. As a leader, you can envision what you yourself need to do or what personal change you need to make before you can influence others. That is leadership from the bottom up!