Search

Sales is, at its most basic level, a relatively simple process. recall one of my clients showing me the flow-chart of his sales process. Twenty six steps. That level of […]

"I don't understand it. We're spending more on marketing, but not getting real growth in sales." Dick Jerrod, president of the company, frowned as he addressed his management team. They […]

Making 2009 the best year in sales is easier than you may think. Many companies are having a good start and are not choosing to participate in the "recession." They […]

Let's be frank--selling has an ugly connotation, even consultative selling. New research indicates that senior executives do not see salespeople as consultative at all--at least not consultants who can drive […]

You hear it everywhere you go: "Sales are down because of the economy. My customers simply aren't buying as much." There are some people out there saying the economy doesn't […]

Most salespeople love to be active--out in our territories, seeing people, solving problems, putting deals together. This activity-orientation is one of the characteristics of a sales personality. A day sitting […]

From Mel Gibson's starring role in "What Women Want" to Dr. John Gray's book "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus," the messages have been out there for a […]

We are in a war. Not the war in the Middle East, but the war we are all experiencing for sales. The battle is almost like hand-to-hand combat because it […]

There's no absence of words to live by. They range from offering good advice, "On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key" to the deviously […]

So much has been said, discussed, and argued about the "economic situation" in the past few months. Is it possible that there is a stone unturned on this topic? Well, […]

Due to economic conditions, a sort of "Business Darwinism" is taking over in most organizations--survival of the fittest--as excess is trimmed and only the necessary survive. This means companies are […]

In business, nothing matters more than selling your products or services. It doesn't matter how educated your recent hires are, or how cool your Web site is or how great […]

Today's Baby Boomers are a marketer's dream come true. But if you want a share of the $3 trillion that this market has as disposable income, slick ads and catchy […]

Let's face it, a major challenge to the sales process is that it is often difficult to put the time and energy that goes into developing quality, long-standing relationships with […]

Not all sales interactions run smoothly; even the best salespeople inevitably hit a bump in the road. Maybe you've hit that bump because you unwittingly mishandled a situation, or because […]

It is rare that one can find more up's and down's in a career than you'll find in the selling profession. A prosperous month and life is good. A down […]

Any discussion of customer buying-cycles is an unpopular topic with management, sales managers and salespeople. We all want to believe that by using the right words, making the right offer, […]

Field salespeople have a unique aspect to their jobs--they have the ability to decide what to do every moment of every day. The need to make this decision--where to go, […]

Regardless of your industry or profession, chances are you regularly have to persuade others to adopt your ideas. Whether you're persuading a client to buy your product, your boss to […]

Presentations are a Critical Part of Successful Selling, but to Be Effective They Have to Communicate to the Customer's Mindset In our work with Sales Managers, Sales Reps, and those […]

Too many salespeople view advertising with distaste and suspicion. Their argument? Advertising diverts money that rightfully should go into bigger commissions, lower prices, more service to customers. The trouble, of […]

Just as the insurance agent was completing his presentation for the renewal of the client's business insurance program, he took out a list of what he described as his agency's […]

Selling to senior executives is a terrific challenge. Most often you are facing barriers to entry before you can even think about deploying appropriate sales strategies. Gaining access to a […]

My coffee shop was offering a free quarter pound of coffee as part of a celebration. As the attendant handed me a regular coffee from their prepared stack, I asked […]

Today, many marketing people love to talk about brand selling as the key business driver that induces prospects to take an action step to buy. But in this business world, […]

Thinking like a customer isn't easy. In fact, it's so difficult many companies are unable to do it. Coca-Cola is a classic example. In the mid-1980s, it changed its longstanding […]

For over forty years I was exposed to many forms of salesmanship, in a variety of areas: Military, business, education, manufacturing and civic. Some subtle, some hard core and some […]

Everyone wants a sales team full of high-performance, hard-driving, revenue-producing professionals. However, few companies know how to achieve this. Take an honest look at your own sales department. Perhaps there […]

For some strange reason, many salespeople who can present a flawless case for their products or services and calmly overcome the toughest of objections suddenly flounder at the point of […]

Don't procrastinate. Yes, you've heard about it, and no doubt you've been guilty of it. It's not making a move when you should, putting off some job you know should […]

Almost everyone wants something more out of life. Whatever it is, they want to do it better, faster and with less effort. However, most people are so busy going to […]

As normal people, many of the pictures we have in our heads get us into trouble. This includes salespeople. No matter who we are, we seem to get ideas, thoughts […]

Successful salespeople understand the buyer's as well as the seller's perspective. They understand the most critical element in a sale is the prospect, since the prospect is the one who […]

A major account has moved ... some customers have gone out of business ... your firm has reduced your territory ... business just isn't what it used to be. For […]

In sales, sharing your goals and dreams with the right people can be the difference between average and above-average success. That's because accountability produces the leverage necessary to follow through […]

There are still plenty of companies that can't seem to get the message customers have changed. They cling to the notion the goal is to get through someone's door and […]

The goal of qualifying is to give you a better than 50 percent chance of closing the sale. My qualification process focuses on getting the qualification information from the prospect. […]

In sales, networking is a necessary skill for finding new customers and making a variety of contacts. However, networking often has a bad reputation because: people do it just to […]

Most of you in sales relish your role as soldiers on the front lines of business. Certainly, if anyone can claim the title of "company warrior," it would be those […]

Would you believe you could learn selling from performing on a Broadway stage? It may sound strange at first, but hear me out. Take into consideration this statistic: A recent […]

Selling is never easy. When the economy is zooming, writing orders, getting contracts and signing up new accounts may be easier. But it's never easy. Hot, new products and services […]

If every sales professional understood the Law of the Iceberg there would undoubtedly be less stress, less frustration, less inconsistency and less dissatisfaction--more motivation, more trust, more money, and more […]

Good personal selling is, of course, made up of more than a customer-centered attitude. That's only a start. Personal selling involves many actions, too. To improve means the salesperson must […]

Few can match Jack Welch's two-decade record at General Electric. While others may come close, he was consistently on top of his game. Even so, it's impossible to be up […]

Successful businesspersons realize that the ability to make an effective presentation before an audience is a key business skill often associated with career advancement. With proper training in the rules […]

All salespeople suffer losses, either through the loss of a sale or an entire account to a competitor. Four things can win back a customer. 1. Visit and investigate. Contact […]

Are your salespeople stuck in the wrong era? It sounds like a strange question. But if they find themselves forced to compete on price to sell value-added products or services--or […]

Did you enjoy what you had for dinner last night? You are probably wondering what that question has to do with sales. Bear with me for a moment and answer […]

"He that questioneth much shall learn much," said Francis Bacon. Nowhere in sales is that statement truer than in the prospecting phase of selling. As part of that strategy, let's […]

Most salespeople open their talks with a stranger by making some such stirring statement as, "I'm John Jones. I'm with the Smith Printing Co." Well, who cares? Surely not the […]