The start of salespodder’s jargon-buster.
Access
All about getting hold of people. Usually referred to in the context of Key-Man Access; do you have it, how easy is it, who grants it to you? You need to establish Access routes and open up permanently available lines of communications with those who can make things happen for you inside potential customer organisations.
Account Management
The process of selling to existing customers. Also referred to mainly as Farming, your contacts have already bought from your organisation. Upgrades, additional product, different product, new products and associated services are typical focuses for you here. Astute political antennae and tenacious spreading within the account are often required.
Action Call
The Telephone Call made where the objective is to get commitment from the potential customer to proceed with an idea of yours. Most commonly referring to the initial cold call where you try to book a meeting.
Action Close
A question looking for an answer in the form of an action or task you have asked the potential customer to conduct on your behalf.
Active Listening
Where the potential customer does the talking save for you asking clarification questions and testing your understanding with summaries of their position.
Activity
…Equals Sales. The more effort put in, the more business you will win. A sales ‘old wives tale’ that happens to be spot on.
Advantage
The specific spin put on something your offering does (technically or operationally) that explains why it’s useful. Usually from how something is done.
Alternative Close
A question seeking commitment from the potential customer where more than one option is offered to agree upon, with the response being acceptance of a choice rather as you avoid the chance of a direct ‘no’.
Anchoring
A psychological concept falling out of Pavlov’s Dog experiments. If you can tie a sound, action, word or phrase that the prospect considers unique to you, or the most help to them, with your proposal, then you’ll win the day.
Anchor Customer
Very important concept if you are trying to break into a new business stream. Your Anchor customer has to be one that will teach you the most, you can provide the best solution for, and lead you into the largest beautiful summer’s garden of associated references and prospects. There is no point in getting a first customer for customer’s sake.
Annual Report
The glossy document a corporation produces (for shareholders) that details the year’s final financial results. A valuable source of information for any salesrep, especially for decent questioning ideas..
Appointment-making
That great telephone activity to get in front of potential customers.
Area
Your sales area from within which all your business must come. Can be geographic or segment-orientated, such as by line-of-business.
Assumptive Close
A question looking for a ‘yes’ when you are heard to be taking for granted the potential customer will be going ahead with whatever you are currently proposing.
Attention To Detail Close
Questions that focus on the small print or finer details of the overall package of your offering.
Awkwards
People you feel are generally trying to avoid you.
