Three of The Top Considerations for Sales

Although this blog is primarily concerned with web conferencing, I wanted to take a step back and talk a little about sales. Web conferencing can be a versatile business resource, but naturally, I think web conferencing can have a direct impact on sales.

I’m constantly reading up on how I can improve my own sales, and I stumbled across this great snippet in the LA Times by Karen Klein late last year:

Track sales performance. See where your sales leads originate and which ones are most effective. You can’t identify what’s working if you’re not monitoring it closely.

“Identify the real drivers of your business, and stop throwing away money on what’s not working,” said Jeff Solomon of Leads360, a Los Angeles software firm. “Chances are, one or two sources generate the bulk of your revenue.”

Instruct your sales staff to respond to inquiries within five minutes, send follow-up e-mail and stay in touch with potential customers.

Sales origination, sales performance and sales inquiries are three big considerations that too many people forget about. Many often find themselves in the grind, and never take a moment to step back.

As simple as Karen’s suggestions may have been, I’m confident they can have a profound difference on my performance if I stay conscious of their impact.

How To Get a Webinar Started Off Right!

It's crucial to have your audience engaged from the beginning of a presentation. If you lose them off the bat, you'll have a tough time getting them back on track.

Too often people "tune out" before they really tune in. As Patricia Fripp outlined, pique their interest from the get-go:

Use looping slides. Once your audience tunes in, how do you make sure they are entertained and feel involved even before the talk starts? The best way is with a series of looping slides.
Using looping slides is a great way to convey important information and keep attendees entertained while they're waiting for your presentation to begin.
These slides should communicate:

• when the session will begin
• the conference dial-in number
• your photo, name, and title
• what the audience is going to learn
• what to do in case of problems.

You might also have quotes about the content they will be learning.

Not to say surprises are a bad thing, but I particularly like providing an overview for what the audience can expect. What other things do you like to convey as the crowd is gathering for the presentation?