reaching decision makers

  • Discovered – Data Reveals the Biggest Obstacle to Closing More Sales
    • April 30, 2018
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    Humans have been waiting for thousands of years to discover the secrets of life.  Why are we here?  Why do bad things happen?  What happens after we die?  Is Heaven real?  What is God’s plan for us?

    While many experts have attempted to answer all of these questions, most of us lack proof. There’s no data.  If we wake up tomorrow morning and suddenly there are not only answers to these questions, but science-based proof, that would be a game-changer for us.

    Likewise, every day most companies try to determine why their salespeople don’t close more business, why so many opportunities die on the vine, and what they need to do differently to change their results.  They try everything!  Most leaders think it’s an issue of closing skills.  It’s not.  Others think it’s about prospecting.  While that has an impact on the size and quality of the pipeline, it has little to do with results.  But I have discovered the cause, will show you the data, and discuss how to fix it.

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  • What Percentage of New Salespeople Reach Decision Makers?
    • June 20, 2016
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    I reviewed a new set of around 8,500 rows of data today.  I wanted to know what percentage of salespeople were able to get past gatekeepers, including voice mail systems, and reach decision makers. This was very interesting!

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  • Top 4 Reasons Salespeople Struggle to Reach Decision Makers
    • October 30, 2013
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    So here we are again, with half of the salespeople reporting that they aren’t reaching decision makers.  And why would a decision maker want to be reached if the salespeople are focused only on presentations?  And companies wonder why their sales cycles are so long, their closing percentages are so low and their margins are slip sliding away…

    Also noteworthy were these findings from the survey results:

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  • The Longest Sales Cycle Ever – How They Closed the Deal
    • May 3, 2011
    • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
    • Category: Understanding the Sales Force

    If only your salespeople had that kind of commitment and staying power.  If only they were able to somehow get connected to their target prospects.  If only they could close the big ones on the first call.  It’s OK to dream big.  It’s OK to think about possibilities like this. It’s OK to want your salespeople to do more, more quickly, more often, and with more success.  Until your desires become expectations, you won’t do anything to change the behaviors that lead to results.

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