SalesHQ

The cycle begins with identifying target prospects, says Alan Rigg, president of consulting firm 80/20 Sales Performance. You have about 30 seconds to grab the prospect’s attention so they’ll give you two or three minutes of their time.

“Prospects don’t sit by the phone hoping salespeople will call,” Rigg says. “You have to be compelling enough to make them stop what they’re thinking about and concentrate on you.” The best way to do that is to emphasize the quantifiable impact your company has had on clients — including your prospect’s competitors.