Proactive New Business Development: Fill The Pipeline!

There are several skills that require mastery to be successful in Sales, but none is as important as finding new opportunities. Proactive new business development must happen. Every day. The inability to do this causes more problems for Sales Management than anything else. Stay ahead of the curve with a simple, executable plan to fill the funnel.

The key to success for any salesperson, whether they’re new or they’ve been in the field for years or decades, is proactive new business development. I spend four days a week doing so, filling the top of the pipeline with new opportunities

A few things that you’ve got to commit to:

  1. First, dedicate the specific time to prospecting. Put it in your calendar and don’t move it if it’s one hour a day. Don’t let other things encroach in that valuable time.
  2. Second, do you have the tools ready to drive those conversations? Calling on the key players in your market segments? Do you have the dialogue ready to engage them in conversation?
  3. Thirdly, do you have the technology or the tools like a CRM and the other email follow-ups, whether that’s through LinkedIn, etc. whatever it is, have it ready to go in your efforts.
  4. And then lastly, structure accountability. I’m not concerned with how many dials or contacts you make, how many connections did you get through? Hold yourself accountable to that. If you do these things, the pipeline’s going to fill up.

I’d love to hear what’s working from you. Good selling.

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A Marketing Research Perspective on Sales and More

Hana Van Voorst is our guest article writer this month. She just completed a 6 month role with us before heading off to France for Business Graduate School. Bon Voyage, Hana !

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As I embark on a new journey to Montpellier, France for a Master’s in International Business, I’ve been reflecting on my time as a Marketing Researcher at Flannery Sales Systems (FSS). As a recent graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in International Business and Chinese language, I was very eager when John offered me an opportunity to work with their Marketing team. Although I didn’t know much about Sales, I was excited to learn. Little did I know, Sales would be just the beginning.

During my eight months, John gave me so many opportunities that weren’t just basic Marketing or Sales. Due to my interest in languages, I was assigned to work mainly with their translation and localization clients. This was a field of work that I never knew existed, but I was able to sit in on Sales training sessions with people from all over the world. I even got to participate in their training activities while coordinating the Zoom logistics. This active participation taught me about not only Sales but business in general. Whether you’re selling a product, an idea, or yourself, it’s more than just a transaction. It’s about establishing a credible relationship and focusing on the customer’s business objective and not just the product. This concept and many others that I learned through multiple trainings has given me a well-rounded perspective about the actual world of Sales instead of just the stereotypical one.

I also greatly enjoyed meeting new people with such a passion for languages. John set up separate networking calls for me to connect directly with these companies to gain more insight about the translation industry. I even met one client from France who helped me with my move to Montpellier including information about visas, accommodation, and French culture in general. This was such a great connection, and it made me feel more comfortable about my moving process.

 These are only a few of the many things I gained in my months at FSS. John gave me the freedom and responsibility to problem solve with his guidance. I was able to learn project management, data analysis, and customer relationship skills while getting to work on assignments related to my passion for international business and language. As I pack for my move to Europe, I am so grateful for the opportunity to network with people and companies throughout Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and so many more. This position has expanded my horizons to new people, new industries, and new skills. As I move forward in my endeavors, I plan to keep contact with FSS and would eagerly work for them again in the future.

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