Does the Shoe Fit?

What if someone told you they had a perfect pair of shoes for you? These shoes matched every outfit you owned, highly stylish, extremely comfortable, and would solve all of your shoe problems. They are a fraction of the price of any other shoe on the market with amazingly high quality that they would be the only pair you needed to purchase for the rest of your life. Would you buy them? It depends, right? The only caveat to these fantastic shoes is that they don’t come in your size. Would you buy them? For most people, even if they were free, the answer would be no. Why? Because they don’t fit. When selling a new product, you need to make sure you have the right audience. A little bit of time and preparation goes a long way towards closing the deal.
Bad data is a significant hindrance to sales success. Most associations do not prioritize the need for a quality lead list. How many times have you recycled that old tired, worn-out list of leads that you’ve been sitting on for years? How much of the market share does your company really have a connection with? Where are the gaps in your industry that you should be tapping into? With the pandemic still in full effect, clean data will be essential to all associations who want to keep a healthy membership base.
Here are some important things for your sales team to consider. Are you confident about your contact person? Pro Tip: never accept a no from somebody who can’t tell you yes. Do you have a direct phone number to reach your target? Today’s market has an extra challenge finding phone numbers with most people still working from home. And yes, phone numbers matter; people don’t buy from an email message.  Mergers, acquisitions, and business closers are still taking place, and it is essential to say current with the times. Don’t waste time reaching out to companies that are no longer in business.
Successful sales do not occur by luck. They happen when preparation meets an opportunity.