General

General

Pre-Summer Sales Management Checklist

Happy almost summer! Things are feeling just about right around here. My oldest is home from Butler and today starts his first internship. My daughter returns later this week from completing her first year in Kansas State’s grueling architecture program, and my high school junior had his banquet/prom this weekend. Last night we grilled out on the patio with …

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My Closing Argument Against the #SocialSelling-Only and Inbound-Only Prospecting is Dead Charlatans

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury… For six years I’ve been prosecuting the case against what several of my friends and I have come to call the #SocialSelling-Only, the Inbound-Only Prospecting is Dead Charlatans. On many platforms, and in front of  many audiences, online and in-person, my friends and I have made the case that …

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Be Wary of Sales Experts and NFL Draft Experts Spouting Opinions

In case you’re not a sports fan, haven’t turned on ESPN lately, or seen a sports page, tomorrow is the NFL Draft. The hype is close to unbearable. And laughably, so is the pathetic track record of the supposed experts telling us who’s the next surefire superstar. (The image above is comedian Frank Caliendo impersonating ESPN NFL …

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Q2 and Opening Day Are Here / Last Chance for OutBound ATL / New Website Pages

Spring is in the air! March Madness comes to an end Monday night. The Cardinals are hosting (it pains me to write this) the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs at Busch. And Q1 is in the books. Hope it was a great quarter for you. Here’s a quick sales checklist headed into Q2: Review your …

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I am Speaking on Prospecting. Pipeline. Productivity. at the OutBound Conference in Atlanta

I often get notes from people who read my blog or books asking where they can attend a public event to hear me speak. It’s flattering to be asked, but also frustrating to have to respond that “you can’t come see me” because 99% of the events I do are private engagements (sales kickoffs, annual meetings, …

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Powerful Tips on Prospecting, Pipeline, and Productivity at the 2017 Virtual Sales Kickoff

The Sales Kickoff Meeting Season for 2017 is nearing its end. I’ve been privileged to speak to many sales teams across North America over the past six weeks, and there’s still one GIANT kickoff meeting remaining on my calendar. The good news is that you’re invited, it’s virtual, and you can attend from anywhere on …

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Super Bowl Weekend Brain Super Food

It’s a pretty good bet that your Super Bowl spread won’t be as healthy what’s pictured above! And if you’re in sales, whether as an executive, sales manager, or individual producer, it’s also a safe bet that there are higher-value uses of your time on Sunday than watching seven hours of pre-game shows. Hence, the timing …

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Some of My Best Blunt Thoughts on Sales Culture (Podcast)

Consider this a belated New Year greeting my friends and followers. Hard to believe we’re four weeks into the year! Hope you’ve had an outstanding and highly productive January. My biggest challenge has been trying to remember where I parked in the airport garage and what hotel room I’m in from night night as the month …

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Telephone Prospecting Tips Article #4: Anticipate the First “No” and Be Prepared to Push Past It

I’ve got bad news and good news about your prospecting call. The bad news is that, most of the time, regardless of how well you’ve done in the early stages of the prospecting phone call (right mindset, good voice tone, great start, and compelling, customer-issue-centered, value-dripping mini statement), it’s highly likely that the first request …

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Telephone Prospecting Tips #2: The Importance of Voice Tone / Giving Away 52 Copies of Sales Management. Simplified.

In the first article of this series we covered how our attitude and mindset toward the phone and prospecting affect our performance. Today I want to tackle the first critical factor after we get our minds right and actually pick up the phone: voice tone. How you sound matters. A lot. Many of you may …

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