Sales get made and killed every day. Often there is a fine line between the two things and the reasons are pretty obvious. So in this short primer on what not to do when you actually want to make the sale, remember these five simple little rules that will help you close more and lose […]
Don’t Kill the Sale! Read More »
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to clean out my garage and get rid of a lot of old stuff that I had been hanging on to. No, I am not a candidate for the show on hoarders, but I am guilty of not taking the opportunity to clean out years’ worth of
Selling with a Positive Attitude Read More »
I hate clichés! I have always really had an aversion to them – and for good reason. They lack any real value, and in the end, they say nothing. They are just words that have been so overused that no one listens. They get lost, and I believe that they can inhibit sale because they are empty.
Avoiding the Sales Clichés That Prevent Business! Read More »
Have you ever been mattress shopping? Well, recently the decision was made in my household that we needed a new mattress. Yes, after 18 years or about 6,570 nights of faithful service, my mattress is ready to be retired. I think the backaches are a good indicator that it might be time. Obviously, it has
Every year about this time, I start hearing the same refrain from the sales community: “Where can I go?” or “I have called on everyone I know,” and that starts a downward trend in performance and results. Then the inevitable starts. Salespeople of every ilk start to do the dreaded “spray and pray.” In other
Spraying and Praying? The Art of the Target List Read More »
In September, I will be speaking at the American Equipment Manufacturing Association Customer Service Seminar in Orlando. So, as you might imagine, I have been thinking about customer service and its relationship to sales culture. I am also coming at this from the viewpoint of a consumer. I think we all have our own examples
Sales Culture and Customer Service: Perfect Together! Read More »
I was recently listening to a salesperson who was lamenting that his boss told him to “Get out and go see clients.” Certainly a reasonable request! When I asked “Dave” what the problem was, he told me that he replied, “I have nothing to talk to them about, so why would they see me?” I
Do you have an agenda? Read More »
I am by no means an expert on leadership. This is a topic addressed thousands of times every year by experts (and some who think they are experts). It’s a theme, a style, and a mantra, and we all have our own leadership styles, I suppose. I did some researching (very minor, I must say)
Sales Leadership Begins with You Read More »
More sales. More customer growth and more success. That’s what everyone wants and how we have traditionally defined success as sales professionals. If you are selling more, then you must be successful – right? Perhaps…or maybe not so much anymore. This is true by conventional measures. But the changing face of HOW people do business
Complacency Kills Sales Read More »
As a sales professional who’s developing a sales culture, what do you expect from your colleagues? Are they shaped by your expectation that they are part of a sales culture and accountable to the client and to one another? Do you engage, motivate, and inspire others in the organization to be part of sales campaigns?
Sales Culture and Accountability: It’s About the Behavior Read More »