Kevin OBrien

For years, companies like IBM, Oracle and Microsoft have provided hundreds (maybe thousands) of outbound cold calling lead generation services to reseller partners looking to move product and software. In fact, it was commonplace for these Tech giants to provide call lists to their partners, while engaging these lead gen companies as a fee-based service in order to make headway into specific markets where they have had difficulty penetrating. It was a strategy that gave these massive companies a huge secondary sales network on the streets, without having to bear the costs of the sales organization. For years, these programs gave hope to the little guy hoping to become a platinum reseller for companies like Microsoft and IBM.

At echogravity, we commonly associate sales organizations to farmers. Each year, farmers continue to sow their fields in order to reap the results from their back-breaking labor. Each Spring, they plant seeds in hopes of landing the big crops when it comes time to harvest. Farming requires a very specific process, with input from external resources and forces (pesticides, weather, machinery) in order to get things just right.

In sales, a very similar process occurs. The team plants seeds of opportunity in a targeted market and works the crop with input from external forces (pre-sales, budgets, proposals) with the hopes of generating revenue.

With farming, there is little room for error. The farmers know how to treat each season with the right touch, always making sure that modifications are taken care of in the appropriate way to get the desired result. Sales is no different.

I’ve seen many approaches to sales and have noticed a common set of habits that lead...

This topic is something that comes up quite often in conversations with our clients. These days, it’s difficult to really nail those value props and unique distinctions that set small to mid-sized businesses apart. Unless you are going after a Blue Ocean opportunity, it is likely that you are running into a challenging scenario that lumps you into the rest of the crowd. Sure, your customers say you are the best and that you are different. However, when a new prospect asks you “What makes your company different?”, are you equipped with the right ammo to say without hesitation: “I’m glad you asked! Here is how we are different!…”.

Testing is the Key

There have been so many times where I ask this question and the person I am talking to rambles off a list of stuff that in the back of mind I know are not distictive value props or differentiators. Of course, I don’t want to hurt anyones feelings, but I do want the team to be able to rip off a few phrases that really hit...

Recently, I realized that an agreement I made with AT&T back in September wasn't kept on their end. It all started when I decided to upgrade my phone from a Moto Q 9h Global (horrible phone by the way) and AT&T agreed to price match the Samsung Galaxy S from another site. However, they had to charge me the full amount and then provide me a refund in my monthly usage bill. Well, 4 months later, I remembered our arrangement and thought I would check out my payment history. No refund was to be found...

So, I called AT&T and spoke to one of their agents in order to get my refund as promised. The overall experience was as expected, however, one sentence really stuck out in the conversation that distinguished this call from the many other calls I've made to call centers. At the end of the discussion, the agent said "have we resolved this issue as to avoid additional call backs regarding this same problem?". After I said "yes, it has been resolved", she again...