By listening to Brian's interview you will learn: What it takes to be a master communicator; What separates top sales performers from average performers; Why being STUPID in business is a good idea; The most important part of preparation for a sales call; What types of repeatable questions you should ask your prospects

This article discusses a great example of effective use of a quantified impact in prospecting that appeared in an ad for SAS Institute in Business Week magazine.

Many sales skills training courses focus considerable attention on closing techniques. However, the real secret to closing sales is doing a great job at the front end of the sales process!

Do your company's salespeople have unlimited access to your company's technical resources? Do they take technical experts with them to first meetings with prospects? Does your management team make conscious decisions to allocate technical resources to opportunities, or do salespeople make those decisions on their own?

It often does more harm than good to discuss price before you and the prospect have determined whether your product or service can provide value to the prospect. What do you do if the prospect asks you to quote a price before the value discussion has taken place?

What kind of response do you usually get when you present the price of your company's products or services? Do your prospects say, "Wow, that sounds cheap - how soon can I get it?" Or, is their response more like, "Oh...I wasn't expecting to pay that much." If you get the second response with any regularity, the problem may be that you are discussing the price of your product or service "in a vacuum."

What is the primary driver for demand for your product or service? Is it need or want? This is an important question because the sales process can differ substantially based upon which situation you are dealing with.

Do you have blind faith that, if you can somehow convince a prospect to engage in a sales cycle, you will eventually make a sale? If you do, watch out! This belief can waste your time, effort, and company resources.

Neither you nor your employer can any make money unless a prospect says "yes". However, getting prospects to say "no" can be equally critical to your success!