Mastering the World of Selling: The Ultimate Training Resource from the Biggest Names in Sales

Chapter 17. Uncover Sales Opportunities

Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie & Associates

As sales leaders in our organizations, planning and conducting sales meetings can be one of the best uses of our time. Well-run sales meetings keep our sales teams focused and motivated. A relevant, well-planned sales meeting has the potential for being some of the most productive time in the sales week and an event that the team wants to attend every time. In order to get that productivity and enthusiasm out of our sales meetings, we need to ensure that the meeting is relevant to the salespeople and that the meeting is participatory. Salespeople are always hungry for ideas that work, and they are eager to share their own good ideas. One topic that is always a winner at sales meetings is how to uncover sales opportunities.

In today's business environment it is critical that sales professionals uncover sales opportunities rather than wait for leads or for customers to come to them. Many salespeople have been less than enthusiastic about prospecting and developing the right habits in this critical part of selling. The top sales professionals have found ways to make prospecting for new opportunities both fun and rewarding.

The best performers recognize that even if there is a lot currently in their sales pipeline, a regular percentage of their time must be focused on uncovering new sales opportunities. To further increase their odds of success, top salespeople have incorporated a varied prospecting approach ...