Matt Heinz
Just pick one and get started, already…
A great personal organizational system or to-do list isn't going to get the work done. It's still, after all, just a list of work - not actual work done. Problem is, even for well-organized and successful people, lists can be counter-productive. They can be intimidating,...
Five keys to dramatic sales performance improvement
World class sales organizations consistently deliver results for a variety of reasons, but the following five focus areas are perhaps the most fundamental drivers of sales performance and success: 1. Explicit goals & expectationsThis requires solid leadership, accurate but aggressive goal-setting and consistently clear communication...
A much better daily metric for managing inside sales
For inside sales teams, two traditional daily measures of productivity have been dials and talk time. Most inside sales teams watch the dial figure closely in particular, and have daily expectations or quotas for outbound calls. When you think about it, that measure is not...
Find the pain, then identify the pain killer
Here's a shortcut to developing effective messaging to influence your prospects. Your product or service is intended to create a successful outcome. We talk a lot about painting a picture of success for your prospects. What will their life look like six months from now?...
3 Keys to Business Success: Leads, Limits and Leverage
What if the secret to growing your business was just three simple things? Would that help you focus? Would that make it easier to prioritize your time, your resources, your next to-do? I could argue that customer and sales growth boils down to three things:...
A sales process won’t make deals close faster
You can give your prospects a deadline. You can add extra pressure at the end of the month. You can follow up every other day to get an update. You can create a sales process that clearly outlines each sales stage and says a...
Why I may have been wrong about Facebook
More than three years ago, I blogged ten reasons why I didn't like Facebook. To this day its among my most-visited past blog posts. And although I'm still not as active a user as most, I'm changing my tune. Facebook isn't for everybody (no single...
Should sales managers help their reps close deals?
As a sales manager, your job is to help make your reps better. To teach them how to sell. To make it so that they can achieve greater and greater results without you. But that doesn't mean sales managers (or other company leaders) can't help...
Five ways the gatekeeper can help you sell
Your first problem is thinking that the gatekeeper is, well, a gatekeeper. That implies that they're an obstacle, an enemy, a guardian of the primary buyer you're trying to engage and influence. That assumption, and the very term "gatekeeper", is largely short-sighted. Treat that person...
Don’t be so short sighted
You can get really clever with your email subject line to increase open rates, but if the body copy and topic is inconsistent (or makes the subject line feel misleading), your clickthrough rate and long-term reputation will suffer. Treating every lead as if they're ready...
A template for estimating leads, opportunities and sales
Most marketing plans, once you've outlined clearly what measurable goals and outcomes look like, should start with a spreadsheet. That spreadsheet should outline and/or predict what the business can expect in revenue and/or customer growth, from what initiatives, and at what volume/cost per initiative...
Summer reading recommendations for sales and marketing pros
By all means, take that trashy novel to the beach with you. What are vacations, long weekends and lazy afternoons in the sun for if not to escape - literally and cognitively? But in between vampire novels and celebrity gossip magazines, here are...
Your customers aren’t listening
We appear to have a bit of a disconnect on our hands. According to a recent study by IBM's Institute for Business Value, there's a significant divide between how companies want to leverage social media channels, and how their customers use them. For example, more…
Six elements that make online videos worth sharing
The role of video in integrated marketing campaigns is increasing at a rapid pace. The bar for creating a compelling, viral video that drives both awareness and buyer interest is dropping, but marketers still need to be strategic about the components and make-up...
Eight barriers to sales CRM success
For a growing or mature sales organization, one of the single most important tools to efficiently scale and sustain sales growth is an effective customer relationship management (CRM) system. And yet, most sales organizations wrestle with the implementation, operation and effectiveness of that system...
Who’s really adding value in your organization?
Atlas Accelerator gave a great talk earlier this month on best practices for creating & managing a board of directors. As part of his presentation, Mike shared a two-part test to determine if your board members are providing value. You should be able to...
The three elements of every good story
What story are you telling your customers? A couple weeks ago Ardath Albee shared the three components of any good story (including the story you're telling your customers and prospects). That story needs: A Hero (that's your customer) A Villain (that's the problem or pain…
Your sales reps need bigger toys
Some of your best inside sales reps might need more motivation. I'm not talking about training or comp plan changes or pep talks. I'm talking about organic, intrinsic motivation to sell more and make more money. For many sales professionals, this isn't an issue. They...
Sales funnel optimization works best from the bottom up
Most organizations, when they want more sales, immediately look to the top of the pipeline. The answer, they figure, is more leads. But if you need more sales, the fastest path is at the bottom of the funnel. Free up deals there and you're far...
Ten rules for starting a business
I'll never forget the very first day of Heinz Marketing. It was just me, a laptop and a (pending) business license. I had a meeting with a new client in downtown Seattle in the morning, and a prospect in the afternoon. My mid-day office?...