This past week I traveled with the president and the CEO of one of my clients. We’ve been tinkering with their sales approach and also working to strengthen their “sales story.” They asked me to join them on this trip to sit in on the annual business review meeting with an important Fortune 500 client, […]
Seek Feedback from Your Best Customers to Strengthen Your Sales Story Read More »
I can’t do it anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I like a good deal as much as anyone. But enough is enough. I was getting dressed last week while Mike and Mike were on ESPN2 in the background. Another obnoxious Jos. A. Bank commercial came on and my sixth grade son started making fun of
Jos. A. Bank TV Spots and Lack of Price Integrity Cost Them a Customer – Me Read More »
Sales is simple. So are most sales problems. I am often brought into companies that are not achieving the desired level of new business sales success. Members of the sales team are not acquiring enough new accounts or new pieces of business from existing customers. While everyone is happy to offer a bevy of complex theories
Segmenting Your Time and Attention Across Deals in Various Stages of the Sales Cycle Read More »
I have been troubled recently observing sales reps taking a subservient and overly respectful posture when engaging prospects and customers. A few reps in particular sounded completely overmatched in conversations on the phone. And I have seen the same occur during face to face meetings as well. Three weeks back I tweeted something provocative about it
Stop Thanking Prospects for Their Time Read More »
Last week OpenView Labs published their list of the Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012. I am thrilled, honored and humbled to be included alongside these powerful thought leaders. My sincere thanks to OpenView for the recognition. Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank two people who significantly contributed to my presence on this
Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012 Read More »
As we wind down 2011, I’ve got a few thoughts about keeping the RPMs (engine speed) up in our sales cars. It takes a lot of energy to establish an effective new business development sales attack. We strategically select target accounts, create sales weapons, and we plan the attack. It takes time to work our way into
The Skinny Pedal on the Right Keeps Your Sales Car in the Power Band Read More »
My clients’ businesses run the gamut from from leading edge technology consulting all the way to simple old-school product distribution. I love helping to drive new sales across this wide spectrum of business types, and more often than you’d think, I end up tackling the very same issues in very different businesses. Earlier this year
Driving Business with a Customer-Focused Sales Story and Fresh Techniques Read More »
Dave Brock is a friend and someone I look up to as one of the true sages in the sales world today. (Find him on twitter @davidabrock and check out his great blog Partners in Excellence). Dave wrote the foreword for Jack Malcolm’s recently revised and enlarged Bottom-Line Selling: The Sales Professional’s Guide to Improving Customer
Bottom-Line Selling by Jack Malcolm – Review Read More »
There are a lot of companies not making their sales numbers. Often, senior executives will suggest a lack of sales talent, specifically sales hunters, as a common reason for the shortfall. I understand that line of thinking and would concur that while we have an abundance of account managers in sales roles today, there is
Why Are the Precious Few Sales Fisherman (Hunters) Cleaning, Cooking & Doing Dishes? Read More »
There is a time to plant and a time to harvest. There is a time to work incredibly hard and a time to relax. And hopefully not very often, there is a time to be ill. Last week I went down hard. Turned out to be pneumonia. I am thankful for great docs, effective meds,
Strategic Target Accounts, Nurture Marketing, Faith and Pneumonia Read More »
