The shortest distance between winning a deal and having it slip from month to month is a direct one.  In fact, it's these direct questions that encourage prospects to share information, establish a personal relationship with us, and increase our chance of selling our solution.  

Objection handling is embedded in the natural flow of every sales process.  How we think about objections can tell the tale about our ability to move the sales process forward.

One of the services I provide for The Bridge Group is to coach Inside Sales reps on effective prospecting and closing techniques.  This is the type of work I have been doing for technology companies for over 15 years and I thought I had seen it all...but apparently not!

I find it interesting to watch companies in high growth mode.  They get all jazzed up, beat the bushes for good candidates ("we only want A players man"), put the candidate through an extensive interview process, get them on board and then.....ignore them and let them fend for themselves!

As sales managers, are we too busy to invest in creating a training process for new hires that will help them be successful?  If we are, it is no wonder that only 60% of our sales organization makes their number.  They are learning on the job!