By understanding your salespeople’s natural fear of qualifying, you can better coach them to ask these seven critical questions early in the sales cycle. Their productivity will ultimately improve, and you will achieve more sales in far less time.

Why Don’t They Qualify?

There are two reasons why even veteran sales pros lapse into working unqualified accounts. The first is tactical. Salespeople, who typically employ a highly political style, don’t want to offend a prospect by asking questions about decision-making, spending authority, and budgets too early in the sales process. They want to make friends first.

The second and primary reason is psychological. It is part of the typical salesperson’s psychological makeup to want to be liked. And most salespeople are very likable. Unfortunately, it is more comfortable in the short run for the salesperson to build a relationship with the wrong person than to ask questions that may alienate the prospect.

Succumbing to Temptation

The nature of the sales job reinforces this fear of early qualification. Because salespeople face a lot of rejection, they are vulnerable to the song of praise and positive feedback from their prospects.

For the prospect, it can be almost like having a congenial (and free!) employee doing problem analysis and preparing the way for the prospect’s solution. For the salesperson, it provides frequent strokes. And because the relationship is good, it is natural for the salesperson to assume that they will eventually make the sale.

Of course, if the prospect is not legitimately qualified, it is only a matter of time before both parties realize that the salesperson’s solution is not a fit. But by then, the salesperson has wasted valuable time that they can’t get back. Even worse, they may have wasted additional helpful resources, such as sales and technical support, throughout this process.

Coaching Your Reps to Qualify Sooner and Smarter

It is reasonable, therefore, for the sales manager to require and verify that the seven critical qualifying questions are answered early in every sales cycle.

By all means, this should be done before your company commits sales support or technical personnel to the sales effort. This is especially important in longer sales cycles or in deals involving more expensive products.

A good time to do this is during the forecast and review sessions that most managers schedule regularly.

During these meetings, confirm that each salesperson is asking the “W” questions (what, why, when, and who) to qualify both the prospect company and the individuals within that company.

What’s the Real Need, and Why Now?

1. What need(s) does the prospect have that your solution can meet? Can your salesperson clearly articulate those needs to the prospect?

2. Why would the prospect be willing to spend x dollars for your product or service? Has it been budgeted?

Timing is Everything: When Will They Take Action on the Presented Deal?

3. When does the prospect plan to implement your product or service? For many products and services, implementation, not the close date, is the key because it is the ultimate purpose of the buying decision. It also focuses on the customer’s perceived benefits, not the salesperson’s sales forecast.

Who Are The Decision Makers?

4. Who will decide to buy the product or service?

5. Who are the decision influencers who can bring pressure to bear (positive or negative) on the person who will make the final decision?

6. Who has the budget or spending authority to implement the decision? Don’t confuse decision and spending authority. They may not be vested in the same person.

7. Which decision makers have your salespeople called on so far? It should be all of them!

Train Reps to Ask What Everyone Else Is Afraid To

Given these questions, there are only two skills that your salespeople need to qualify properly. The first is confidence. The second is questioning skills. Good questioning skills can quickly create confidence.

Before making a call on a prospect, you want your salesperson to get the answers to as many of these seven critical questions as possible. Resources could include the prospect company’s website or past sales representatives who have contacted the prospect company, among others.

The amount of information that can be collected in advance will vary for each prospect. But without fail, once your salesperson is in front of someone in the prospect company, he or she should ask bold, direct questions:

“Do you have the authority to implement this decision?”

“Has this item been budgeted? Does it need to be? Do you have the funds available?”

Your salesperson may not always receive the answers that qualify the lead, but it is better to walk away from a sales cycle that will lead nowhere.

How to Reach the Real Buyer

Teach your salespeople to persuade the influencer to introduce them to the decision-makers. That retains the relationship with the influencer while opening an opportunity to the decision-maker.

If they must, they should bypass the influencer’s authority without permission. This will almost certainly alienate the influencer. But if the sale is going nowhere, your salespeople may have to take that risk.

Ask yourself: Can our sales strategy overcome the loss of this influencer? If the answer is yes, it’s a reasonable risk that they should take.

The post 7 Questions That Top Salespeople Ask Before Wasting a Minute appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

They were with us every step of the way, helping with planning, pushing for more partner involvement, finding SMEs to host speaking engagements, and contributing during group discussions.

As always, we’re genuinely thankful for the partnership and friendship they provide. Until next year!

The post ConectUS thanks Verizon for an incredible Rev-Up 2025 event appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

The Lions are one of the young and up-and-coming teams in the NFL, and we are extremely excited to see how both parties grow through this partnership.

Through this partnership, Verizon becomes the exclusive wireless telecommunications provider of Ford Field, and the benefits that each side of this deal gets are phenomenal. Verizon will become the official sponsor of the annual halftime show of the Lions’ Thanksgiving game as part of this deal, and this halftime show has been headlined by artists such as Jack Harlow, Bebe Rexha, and Big Sean over the last couple of years.

Verizon will also expand on its wireless infrastructure throughout the stadium, including 5G Edge Cashierless Checkout technology, deployments of 5G Ultra Wideband, and Private Wireless Network coach-to-coach communication.

Verizon has made countless innovative solutions around Ford Field due to all of the data usage during games. Some of these solutions include Verizon’s Distributed Antenna System, a 5G mmWave system deployment, and a wireless network of antennas distributed throughout the property that allow for better performance and coverage.

Verizon will always continue to look for different ways that they can improve the fan experience at Ford Field, and we are looking forward to see the technological advancements they continue to add.

“We are excited to continue and grow our partnership with Verizon at Ford Field,” said Detroit Lions Chief Operating Officer Mike Disner. “Our partnership with Verizon has enabled us to elevate the Ford Field experience for fans, media and our staff through greater connectivity and network strength. We are thrilled that they will continue to be a part of our annual Thanksgiving Tradition in Detroit.”

All signs are pointing to the Lions having yet again another great season, and with the help of Verizon, their in-stadium experience is only expected to improve.

#weloveverizon #likeconectus #verizon #5G #agentprogram #sellverizon #verizonpartnernetwork #5gbi #fwa #salestraining #businessinternet #conectusracing #cpnzone #teamtexas #corporateevent #letsgoracing #racingschool #NASCAR #RaceTrackTraining #TXRacingSchool #DFWRacing #yearoftheagent

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Following an outstanding start to 2024, ConectUS Wireless is happy to announce that we are the recipient of the 2024 Visionary Spotlight Award for the Top Innovation from ChannelVision Magazine. All of the hard work from all of our employees combined with the seamless partnership with our agents led us to this award this year, and we can’t wait to see how much we continue to grow in this wonderful space.

This year, ChannelVision Magazine stated that there was a “record number of nominations” for these awards, making us feel even more honored that we were selected.

“I can proudly say that all VSA recipients – spanning Overall Excellence, Business Technology, and Service Provider Technology – have made outstanding strides that warrant distinction,” Beka Business Media founder and ChannelVision Magazine publisher Berge Kaprelian said. Receiving this award with the massive pool of applicants is an honor that we don’t take lightly, and we couldn’t have done it without Verizon, our agents, and our core group of employees who get to call ConectUS home.

This award will be published in full as part of the ChannelVision Magazine’s May/June issue, and it will be available in both digital and print formats.

Once again, ConectUS Wireless is honored to receive this award, and we wouldn’t have been able to do this without everyone’s help and hard work. This is just the beginning of what we plan to do in 2024, and we are excited about the progress that we will continue to make leading into 2025.

#weloveverizon #likeconectus #verizon #5G #agentprogram #sellverizon #verizonpartnernetwork #5gbi #fwa #salestraining #businessinternet #conectusracing #cpnzone #teamtexas #corporateevent #letsgoracing #racingschool #NASCAR #RaceTrackTraining #TXRacingSchool #DFWRacing #yearoftheagent 

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This gives us the chance to create new opportunities for our agents all the time rather than just for one weekend at a NASCAR race. Through this partnership, representatives from ConectUS Wireless, and possible partners, will be at all events with David, explaining the benefits of our agents’ services. These events stretch from race days at the Team Texas Racing School to speaking engagements nationwide with David. 2024 is the Year of the Agents and they always come first, and this partnership embodies that.

Away from the racing school, David often brings the ConectUS car with him to different events that he attends. At every event that David goes to, a representative from ConectUS Wireless is in attendance to explain what our agents’ services can do for them. These events often have small to medium-sized business owners in attendance and this partnership allows our agents’ services to be described in an informative manner to these business owners.

On race days at the racing school, a representative from ConectUS Wireless will always be in attendance to mingle with the business owners. ConectUS Wireless signage will decorate the Team Texas Racing School’s workshop, and our agents will be well represented. We did this partnership for our agents, and we can’t wait to see all parties involved grow. 2024 is the Year of the Agent.

#weloveverizon #likeconectus #yearoftheagent #verizon #5G #agentprogram #sellverizon #verizonpartnernetwork #5gbi #fwa #salestraining #businessinternet #conectusracing #cpnzone #teamtexas #corporateevent #letsgoracing #racingschool #NASCAR #RaceTrackTraining #TXRacingSchool #DFWRacing

The post How the ConectUS partnership with Team Texas Racing School can take our agents’ business to the next level appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

Speaking on February 29, Mark Tina, Channel Chief and Vice President of Indirect Partner Sales for Verizon Business said, “The work they do is driving innovation every day, and we’re proud to collaborate with the smartest minds in the industry and use this platform to celebrate their work.”

Responding to this accolade, John Scully, President and General Manager of ConectUS, said, “I am constantly blown away by the expertise, commitment and passion demonstrated by every member of the ConectUS family. Our partners and agents are constantly telling me how much they appreciate the dedication and personal attention they receive from ConectUS. They especially reference our commitment to answering every phone call during business hours.”

Verizon’s decision to pick ConectUS out of a crowded field was based on the ConectUS team’s innovative way of educating SMBs and enterprise customers about the advantages of connecting broadband internet services wirelessly via Wireless Business Internet and cell towers. By utilizing Cell Tower Technology (CTT), businesses avoid the delays associated with trenching, hanging wires above ground and truck rolls. Indeed, services can be up and running within hours rather than weeks.

Instead of only talking to SMBs and enterprise customers about the advantages of CTT, ConectUS took a Verizon Business Internet Gateway (FWA) to multiple events across the U.S., both indoors and outdoors. Then, only moments after plugging the Gateway into a standard 110v outlet, the team would webcast in real-time in seamless, uninterrupted, high definition.

New customers appreciated seeing these real-life use cases rather than reading about them in brochures. Hence the step increase in sales of the Verizon Business Internet Gateway and CTT.

About ConectUS Wireless

ConectUS Wireless was founded in 1974. The company originally provided 2-way radio and paging services in the Southern California area. In 1983 when cellular service was introduced, ConectUS was awarded one of the first four cellular exclusive distributorships with PacTel in Los Angeles, CA.

ConectUS is a Platinum member of the Verizon Partner Network. In addition to tablets and smartphones, our channel offers broadband internet, business continuity services, video conferencing, a feature-rich office phone system, vehicle logistics and tracking, and much more. Our unique relationship with Verizon Wireless allows us to drop ship equipment directly to our customer’s place of business. ConectUS has created a true Verizon Wireless direct fulfillment program for our extensive dealer and sales agent base that covers most of the major markets in the United States.

Follow ConectUS Wireless: ConectUS.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The post ConectUS Wireless Wins Prestigious Award for Innovation appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

In the wireless and phone industries, things are always changing. There’s always a new phone coming out that has “never-before-seen” features and technology, and companies are always trying to outdo each other while copy-catting each other’s work in a race to the top to be the best cell phone company in the world.

In the wireless industry, there always seem to be new ways to use your smartphone no matter where you are, and now there are internet routers that are powered by cell towers rather than an ethernet cable. The possibilities are endless in the wireless and phone industries, and it’s hard to predict what new technology will emerge next.

But in one instance in the 1960s, a telephone company commercial manager by the name of Frederick Huntsman made a prediction in the Mansfield News Journal about telephones that would change the wireless industry forever. Huntsman predicted that people would be able to carry their phones in their pockets one day: something absolutely unheard of back then. At the time that Huntsman said this, there was no such thing as a cell phone, though rotary-style phones were slowly starting to disappear in favor of phones that now had push buttons to type in the phone number of the person you wanted to call. This was considered a big innovation. The technology back then was nowhere close to what we have today, but Huntsman’s analysis of how technology was moving led him to believe that phones would eventually be portable and small enough to hold in your hand.

Huntsman had that cell phones would be common one day, and he’s been proved right. Cell phones are now part of most people’s day-to-day lives, and it’s hard to imagine a world without them.

#weloveverizon #likeconectus #verizon #5G #agentprogram #sellverizon #verizonpartnernetwork #5gbi #fwa #salestraining #businessinternet #conectusracing #cpnzone #teamtexas #corporateevent #letsgoracing #racingschool #NASCAR #RaceTrackTraining #TXRacingSchool #DFWRacing

The post Crazy prediction about wireless industry comes true 60 years later appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

Pope Gregory XIII had introduced the Gregorian calendar in the 1500s to fix large variables between the solar year and calendar date that the Julian calendar had displayed. Countries from across the globe eventually started using the new calendar, and Sweden finally decided to do so in 1700.

The year 1700 was a leap year in the Julian calendar, but it wasn’t a leap year in the Gregorian version, widening the gap between the two even further. The first day of March in the Julian calendar was equal to the Gregorian March 12.

Sweden planned to slowly transfer over to the Gregorian calendar by omitting 11 leap days over the course of a 40 year-span, but that plan was destroyed when leap years were wrongfully observed in 1704 and 1708. By 1712, Sweden’s timekeeping was such a disaster that the country planned to change everything back to the Julian calendar starting on the first day of March, while still wanting to be sure they celebrate Easter on a Sunday. To make this happen, Sweden included February 29 — as the year 1712 was already a leap year — plus an additional day, February 30, to make up for the leap day it had taken away in 1700. But wait!

There’s more. Sweden finally made the permanent shift to the Gregorian calendar in 1753, getting rid of the 11-day variance by hopping from February 17 to March 1.

Happy Leap Day everyone.

This is something that most people don’t know, and if you think that leap years today are confusing, living in Sweden during the 1700s would be even worse for you.

#weloveverizon #likeconectus #verizon #5G #agentprogram #sellverizon #verizonpartnernetwork #5gbi #fwa #salestraining #businessinternet #conectusracing #cpnzone #teamtexas #corporateevent #letsgoracing #racingschool #NASCAR #RaceTrackTraining #TXRacingSchool #DFWRacing

The post The Weirdest Leap Year that you’ve Never Heard About appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

Here are some of the top reasons that you should come to see us at Channel Partners.

• Meet the ConectUS Wireless Team

Come meet the ConectUS Wireless team at the NASCAR booth and take in everything that ConectUS and our partners have to offer. While you’re at Channel Partners, we know that there are plenty of customers and new prospects there. We can offer you free use of our meeting room right on the Expo floor, just ask! It’s open from Monday afternoon until Thursday.

• Get your photograph taken in the stretch NASCAR

Last year, we brought the ConectUS Car to the Expo floor, and this year we’re going even bigger. ConectUS Wireless and Team Texas Racing School are bringing the ConectUS Stretch NASCAR. You don’t want to miss it.

The Stretch NASCAR has 12 seats inside of it, so bring your entire team to our booth and get a group photo inside of it. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

• Meet NASCAR legend, David Starr

If you know ConectUS Wireless, then you know that NASCAR legend David Starr is our leading spokesperson and we love working with him. David will be traveling with us to the Channel Partners Expo and you can meet him and have your photograph taken. Stop by our booth, get an autographed hero card, and take a photo with him. He embodies our brand and values so well, and he loves meeting new people.

• To attend the panel session on March 12

ConectUS Wireless is holding a panel session on Tuesday, March 12 from 10:45 to 11:20 am in the Channel Partners Conference. We have experts from OpenText, Verizon, Samsung, and ConectUS who will be discussing cell tower technology and cybersecurity.

• And remember, we can get you free entry. Just get in touch.

#weloveverizon #likeconectus #verizon #5G #agentprogram #sellverizon #verizonpartnernetwork #5gbi #fwa #salestraining #businessinternet #conectusracing #cpnzone #teamtexas #corporateevent #letsgoracing #racingschool #NASCAR #RaceTrackTraining #TXRacingSchool #DFWRacing

The post Top Reasons You Should Come See ConectUS Wireless At Channel Partners appeared first on ConectUS Wireless.

We’re Back

This Wednesday at 11:30 AM CT, click on: https://myconectus.com/wpstream/partner-news

In our first episode, we’ll preview our participation at Channel Partners, both at the Expo and the Conference. And David Starr will join us to tell us more about how you can leverage his brand to help your brand.

So watch Partner News LIVE every second Wednesday at 11:30 AM CT.

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