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...]
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...]
Sales Decisions: How Do You Decide?
In sales there are lots to decisions to make. Should you raise prices or keep them the same? Which product would be best for this customer’s operation? What’s the best way I can afford to serve a customer? How can I promote and get support for a new idea? When should I stop selling to a customer? Who should I call on? Sometimes you just can’t decide. You have multiple … [Read more...]
3 Rules to Win Bids
Wouldn’t it be nice to be free of competition when you sell? You would not have to submit bids and compete with competitors to win bids in an ideal sales world. That world unfortunately doesn’t exist. There will be times you will have to submit a bid. It's the only way for you to get business. There are strategies to work on bids that make it more likely for you to win … [Read more...]
3 Dumb Sales Mistakes
I often say you learn something from everyone. Sometimes it’s what to do. Other times it is what not to do. Selling is a tough enough business that it’s always better to stay away from the wrong things to do. Here are some of the dumbest things I’ve heard (or done) in sales just so you can save yourself from making these same mistakes. 1. Tell them John referred … [Read more...]
Solve Your Sales Problems
3 Ways To Avoid Frustration and Failure Not making your sales? Working with a difficult customer? Facing a challenge that’s immobilizing you? These are all problems that you might face in sales. What can you do about them? You need to have a process to solve them. Here’s how to get started. First realize you have a problem. Ignorance is not bliss when it … [Read more...]
3 Selling Rules
1. Never touch base. Your credibility is a key part of your sales success. That credibility comes from your expertise, your authority and your availability. You must avoid everything that detracts from your credibility. When you touch base you are detracting from your credibility. Expertise means you have knowledge that’s useful to your customers and … [Read more...]
Tough Love for Sales Success: Are You Successful?
The salespeople I work with sometimes tell me how well they are doing. There’s only one problem. They’re not doing all that well. Why? They are the ones who think they’re doing well. Here’s what I tell sales managers to use as they gauge their salespeople’s success. You can use the same criteria to judge how you explain your own … [Read more...]