How many times have you worked hard to give a great sales presentation only to receive blank stares at the end of it? It’s often because a lot of pitch pitfalls masquerade as best practices. And even the seasoned seller can fall into them. So next time you walk into a sales meeting with a skeptical prospect – or create marketing materials for that prospect – watch out for these five B2B messaging “best practices” … [Continue reading]
About Acree Macam
Five things I learned about sales messaging from squirmy five-year-olds
In the process of having a children’s book published, I’ve learned that the toughest audience in the world isn’t a CEO, a tough-as-nails VP, or a former military-turned-procurement person. It’s a squirmy five-year-old. Kindergartners don’t like to listen. They do like to interrupt. And they have an instinctive habit of turning the page before you’ve finished reading. I’ve had to adjust my writing techniques in order to wrestle this audience’s attention. And I’ve found that … [Continue reading]
Oh no! Turns out negative sales messages get positive results.
You’ve won a lot of sales by saying, “yes.” “Yes, our widgets work for all people everywhere.” “Yes, we’ve handled plenty of projects like yours.” “Yes, we can get you that tomorrow.” Negative words like “no” are the bad guy. “No” limits opportunities, turns away customers, and drags down business. Clearly “no” and its cousins – “not,” “never,” and “can’t” – don’t belong anywhere near your sales and marketing messaging. Or do they? Your positive … [Continue reading]