You’ve heard it time and time again. “No.” “We already use a similar product.” “Sorry, we’re not interested.” “Now is not a good time.” The bottom line is, rejection is painful no matter how long you’ve been in sales. It doesn’t matter how delicately (or indelicately) they put it, a no always means no. Or does it?

The fastest growing trend to impact the sales industry is the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools.

This post is brought to you by a guest contributor, Maggie Pugesek. Maggie is a Partner at C&M  Coaching, she specializes in  coaching for automotive dealerships.  You can learn more about her company here.

It may be a bit of a mind bender, but consider this: our smartphones that we text, search, watch shows, and play games on are still actual…phones.

Business-to-business companies are always on the lookout for potential clients who can really benefit from what they have to offer. As a result, lead generation has proven to be one of the most difficult yet crucial pursuits of a B2B. 

Generating high-quality leads is still a major challenge for marketers. The fact is, targeting the ideal person or company is more important to a B2B than getting a wildly high volume of ineffective prospects. Quality over quantity.

The most pivotal analogy I’ve come across about lead response compares a lead to a freshly captured fish. That's why it pays to be as quick with your catch as it does to be quick with leads. 

Now, stay with me here.

Negotiation is a part of life. This method of discussion can help accomplish personal and professional goals set for yourself. You can negotiate a job offer to achieve a higher salary, a promotion for advancement within your organization, or a better vehicle price at the dealership.

What salesperson works 24/7 without taking breaks or getting paid commission? Your website! This fully self-service, consistent, helpful hub for everything about your business is perhaps your strongest marketing and sales asset. 

But is it reaching its full potential? Is your website optimized to generate leads all day, every day? Does it help your marketing team qualify leads? Does it help your sales representatives close more deals?

If not, you may be leaving valuable money on the table. 

In this article, you’ll learn best practices to optimize your site for lead generations and ensure effective on-site engagement.

What a change a year makes!  In 2020, businesses shutdown in response to Covid-19.  Most businesses adapted with strategies learned in prior recessions, cutting costs and laying off employees to preserve cash.

A year later consumer demand has snapped back, complicated with unanticipated supply chain issues and many businesses are struggling to adapt.

In the old days, voicemail was the only way for the party receiving the call to know who it came from. These days, an unanswered call gets followed by a text message, asking for a call back.