Picture this. You’re a senior executive looking for your next job. You’ve been interviewing with several excellent companies. Then one of them offers you a job. The money looks good. The company has the right pedigree. The job is interesting. What’s the problem? You’re wondering if you should say “yes” to this particular offer. Should you continue to interview? Would a better … [Read more...]
Sales Surprises To Avoid If You Want to Make a Sale
I’m not a fan of surprises. I like them even less in sales. What is worse is when the unexpected sales surprises can be prevented. Competition is tough enough. You don’t need to cause your own frustration with sales surprises. Here’s what you can do if you want to sell without getting any unnecessary sales surprises. What happened to cause the sales surprise? A … [Read more...]
Buyer Training Influences How You Sell
You’ve probably attended sales training at some point in your selling career. Hopefully most of it delivered valuable insights that led you to become a more effective sales professional. Now think about your buyer and buyer training. What do you think he’s done to improve his buying and get the best sale for his company? Consider his preparation and buyer training for your … [Read more...]
Don’t Write Another Sales Proposal Unless…
You might gladly write a sales proposal if you were guaranteed a sale. Salespeople, all too often, work very hard prospecting, then writing and presenting proposals. What happens after? They hear crickets (no response from email or phone) from prospects a week or weeks later. How can you avoid crickets? Don’t write another sales proposal unless … [Read more...]
Sales Mistakes to Become an Expert in Sales
The physicist Niels Bohr once defined an expert as “a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” Here are some of the sales mistakes I’ve made over the years. You can either make them yourself, or learn from me and try to avoid them so you can start to become an expert in sales. I worked with multiple distributors and commission … [Read more...]
Sales Managers that Get More Sales
There’s an interesting proverb that says, “An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. Sales managers that get more sales are like those lions. Hopefully your team of salespeople are more than just metaphorical sheep. Here’s what a lion leading a successful sales team looks like to ensure your sales team’s success. Find the spark that you … [Read more...]
Sales Presentation Mistakes: 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Presenting for Sales or Funding
You don’t have a big margin for error when you’re presenting to a new prospect. Prospects may already use the product you’re selling. They don't have to look for another supplier. Investors are also a tough audience to persuade because they get so many requests for funding. You want to avoid these sales presentation mistakes whether you’re presenting to make a sale or … [Read more...]
Work from Home: Etiquette to Follow and Expect
There will be many people who work from home even after Covid’s ravages are reduced to a manageable threshold. It shouldn’t surprise you that some people are clueless when they disrupt those who work from home. Don’t you be one of them! Here are some etiquette rules I recommend you follow with those who work from home. Etiquette Rule 1. Don’t ring anyone’s doorbell without … [Read more...]
Use the Telephone to Sell
Pandemic or not, you have to make sales. The telephone, especially now, might be your best tool to sell and reach new customers. It’s not so easy to sell on the telephone. Then again, neither is selling face-to-face. Here’s what you can do to make it easier when you use the telephone to sell. It’s all in the execution to use the telephone to sell. How you speak is a … [Read more...]
Hidden Buyer Questions That Lead To Sales
Expect to ask questions during the sales call to guide your customer to buy. What about the questions your buyer has? Are you ready with answers that lead to sales? Your answers can guide your customer to buy, but only if you know the hidden buyer questions that lead to sales. Buyer’s Hidden Question #1: Can you help me meet my needs? Customers don’t buy from you … [Read more...]