What does Artificial Intelligence (AI) say about sales? A lot. Some of it was obvious to anyone with sales experience. Yet the answers highlight what AI says for sales success. What does AI say are sales challenges? I asked ChatGPT a few different ways about the challenges that salespeople face and what they find difficult in selling. Here’s what ChatGPT … [Read more...]
Are You a Great Sales Manager?
Your sales team may already think you are a good sales manager. Perhaps there’s room for you to become a great sales manager. Here’s what it takes to be a great sales manager. Great sales managers know their subordinates’ career goals. A great sales manager’s job is to get subordinates to the next step of their career. Remember, some people want to continue as sales … [Read more...]
Questioning Strategy Is What You Need to Sell
The best salespeople ask the most productive selling questions. They ask their questions in a way that gets results. Forget being a military interrogator! Yelling and sleep deprivation won’t work in a sales call. Your questioning strategy is what you need to sell. Here are a few ideas to create your best questioning strategy. Use persuasive words in your questioning … [Read more...]
The Organized Salesperson
You might have heard someone say the key to sales success is to work smarter, not harder. One way to work smarter is to be an organized salesperson. Here is how you can be more organized. Organize your travel. Certainly you plan your travel in advance so you maximize the customer time you have in each city. Travel today is more of a hassle than ever. One way to make it … [Read more...]
Small Sales Strategies That Mean Big Results in Sales
They say good things come in small packages. In sales big results can come from small strategies. Why not think about these small strategies so you can get better sales results? Follow up can be a small sales strategy. I find that misunderstandings come with poor follow up. The old saying is correct that even the faintest ink is better than the strongest memory. … [Read more...]
Dealing With an Angry Customer
You are going to have to deal with an angry customer no matter how responsive you are in sales or how well you anticipate customer problems. Sure, it would be nice to be able to prevent angry customers, but that is not realistic. Communication is hard and misunderstandings happen. That’s when emotions run hot. You can still work with an angry customer and keep your … [Read more...]
Difficult Conversations in Sales
Are you ready for your next price increase discussion with your most important customer? How about a conversation with your manager over a disputed expense item? Difficult conversations are part of sales. Here are some pointers to make your next difficult conversation both easier and more successful, especially when these conversations are high stakes and high … [Read more...]
What It Takes for Women to Succeed in Sales
This column is only for women. Really? Of course it’s not just for women! In fact, men might just be curious about what I think women need to do to be successful in sales. Stop looking to put people into categories. You have prospects and customers in sales. Do you really think a woman buyer will buy from you just because you are female? It’s like the old … [Read more...]
Political Savvy and Your Sales Career Success
Do you think politics only applies to elected officials? It also applies to sales and your sales career success. You may not realize how your political savvy in sales will determine whether or not you are successful in sales. 1. It’s better to treat everyone with dignity and respect. I went to university with a very nice student whose father was in politics. His father … [Read more...]
Different Ideas to Sell More in 2024
You probably know that doing the same things again and again while expecting different results is nuts. So why not this year try some different ideas to sell more? Here’s what I’m planning for 2024. What are you planning? Learn something new that’s interesting. I had a customer, a plant manager, who told me one day to be sure to stop in his office over lunch hour. I … [Read more...]