Several months ago, I was coaching Kim, a successful Strategic Account Executive. Kim started the coaching session with a deep exhale, saying, "I'm certain I will lose yet another unsolicited RFP this week. We will…
Vince CoricaApril 17, 2024
New Year’s Resolutions for Sales Leaders Repeatedly this month, I’ve heard the common statement... “Where did that year go to?” As we prepare for 2024, it’s the season for crafting new resolutions. Also, many of…
Kevin DoddrellDecember 11, 2023
By my rules, you are being ghosted after three days of silence from a client. Yet, as any experienced salesperson knows, the reasons behind responsiveness can be as varied as the clients themselves. Lack of…
Ray BakerDecember 5, 2023
No matter how much experience you have, reviewing the fundamentals of getting and keeping attention is always important. The market has changed, attention spans are shorter, and more “clutter” makes it difficult to stand out.…
Bill WallaceOctober 5, 2023
As sales professionals, we are well acquainted with the intricate dance of communication. However, we are less likely to identify a trail of smoke and mirrors that can come from potential clients when discussing opportunities.…
Kevin DoddrellSeptember 11, 2023
Traditional thinking about account management is killing your business. There is a subtle change occurring within the world of account management that has significant implications for your revenue results. Rather than thinking of account management,…
Bill WallaceAugust 22, 2023
The principles in this article reflect the real-life story of how a large business unit in a $4b global financial services firm retained and grew 100% of their strategic accounts by expertly executing these four…
Vince CoricaAugust 7, 2023
“There is no passion to be found playing small –in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela Steve Jobs was well known for being…
Bill WallaceJuly 10, 2023
Hundreds of books and articles have dealt with overcoming sales objections – typically implying that sales objections must be countered or corrected. This implies you, as the sales professional, can change someone’s mind if the…
Kevin DoddrellJune 13, 2023
I have the pleasure of coaching and working with some of the world’s most experienced and skilled sales teams, often tackling the largest of opportunities. I also see the new generation of sales professionals developing…
Kevin DoddrellMay 9, 2023
The first call, whether face-to-face or virtual, with ANY new contact, regardless of where you are in the sales cycle, is the most important because it determines if there will be a second. I coached…
Lon CunninghisApril 11, 2023
We, as salespeople, are prone to look at the bright side of everything we hear. By nature, we want to accept everything said to us. We are positive people. My deal is awesome! My client…
Kevin DoddrellMarch 14, 2023
Growing up as a first-generation individual, I was exposed to language and culture differently than my schoolmates and neighbors. In my home, we spoke Spanish and English. I needed to figure out how not to…
Ilsa Mendoza-JacksonFebruary 14, 2023
Armed with new tools, techniques, and thinking after completing sales training, sales professionals often ask, “How should I begin?” A fair question after having been somewhat “fire-hosed” with fresh ideas for several hours during training.…
Ian RamsbottomJanuary 10, 2023
As we enter a likely global recession and continue to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic, we are seeing some alarming trends in our 2022 Sales Challenges Surveys. These trends suggest many organizations are…
Lon CunninghisDecember 13, 2022
As salespeople, our lives are very much about meetings… virtual meetings, as well as in-person. Effective, well-facilitated meetings are our most reliable path to success and help define our personal brand. But… what do we…
Vince CoricaDecember 6, 2022
The dreaded subject of account planning needs an overhaul. It is looked upon as an administrative task that has very little value for the account team, and generally, not regarded as one of the most…
Bill WallaceNovember 8, 2022
Concerned about being an “inch deep” when you bring thought leadership? The fear of being “found out” that you are only an inch deep on your thought leadership when selling makes the idea of calling…
Lori PrestonOctober 11, 2022
In sales situations, you, your prospects, and your clients are interdependent. When you realize you are dependent on your sales relationships to succeed, then you become motivated to understand what they are feeling and vice…
Jacques BossonneySeptember 20, 2022
This will age me! When email first arrived on the scene, I was a front-line sales leader, leading a team of about 15 sellers in the IT Industry. The instruction came from above that all…
Kevin DoddrellSeptember 6, 2022
As many of us are enjoying the good fortune by returning to normal ways of conducting business following the pandemic, one of the great joys coming back are client meetings. Real, live, face-to-face client meetings.…
Ian RamsbottomAugust 16, 2022
In an information, data saturated world, buyers are truly able to engage with sellers less and less. In a report published in Q1 this year from Gartner, in a complex B2B purchasing decision, the stakeholders…
Mary CasperJune 14, 2022
By now everyone has heard about the “Great Resignation,” where in America alone almost 4 million people quit their jobs each month during 2021 – the highest on record, and where there were over 10…
Lon CunninghisMay 10, 2022
If you are not in a new sales role, you can benefit from this article too! In my many years of engaging global sales teams, I am now seeing the most fluid market of sales…
Kevin DoddrellApril 12, 2022
Lush green front yards and gardens have experienced great year-over-year growth over the last couple of years as people spend more time outside than ever before. Our focus on health makes us more conscious of…
Ilsa Mendoza-JacksonMarch 8, 2022
NASA’s January 8, 2022 announcement… James Webb Space Telescope completes epic deployment sequence…. It’s done. The biggest astronomical mirror ever sent into space is assembled and ready for focusing to enable humankind to capture…
Ian RamsbottomFebruary 8, 2022
"Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear." I love this quote – I try to remind myself of it on a frequent basis. It jolts me a little when I realize…
Bill WallaceJanuary 11, 2022
The sole existence of almost all business technological innovation is due to the need to solve a customer issue or problem. From a proactive perspective, it is to improve the performance of the business by…
Mary CasperDecember 7, 2021
80 weeks! We are approaching 80 weeks of managing complex sales cycles virtually. When it comes to complex sales, we have learned several critical lessons about how to connect and gain a relationship advantage. We…
Kevin DoddrellOctober 12, 2021
With the world’s expectations for being dialed in 24/7, speed and responsiveness are of the essence. Sometimes to get the best outcome, particularly in the heat of a deal, it’s ok to hit a brief…
Mary CasperSeptember 14, 2021
Almost every technology company and salesperson on the planet is selling some form of Digital Transformation today. As much as we would like to think those words enchant and motivate our clients to buy, typically…
Lon CunninghisAugust 10, 2021
As sales professionals, we need to be able to answer three key questions: 1) What do we sell? Easy. 2) What business value are we bringing to our client? And 3) Who wins? Here is…
Ian RamsbottomJuly 13, 2021
Besides the obvious impact of the pandemic, there are significant trends emerging you may not recognize yet. These will require us to change how we sell. The world learned how to buy almost everything online…
Lon CunninghisJune 8, 2021
The secret in the book “Think and Grow Rich” is revealed by way of ideas and actions. As a salesperson, you can master this approach by applying thought to your client’s business and generating IDEAS…
Bill WallaceMay 11, 2021
One of our clients recently won a contract worth over $1 billion in a highly competitive deal where they ousted a long-time incumbent. When looking back at their strategy and approach, the account team agreed…
Lon CunninghisApril 14, 2021
While we have a course and webinar to help people sell better virtually, I wanted to share some tips on the number one sales skill salespeople have stated in our surveys they are finding the…
Debby RizzoMarch 9, 2021
There is a secret to building relationships and connection with people, which lends itself to successful selling. Many do not learn it until later in their career, if at all. The secret to connect with…
Bill WallaceFebruary 9, 2021
Welcome to 2021! Let us put 2020 behind us and make this year successful. Read about four simple habits you can focus on to take advantage of the challenging world of virtual sales.
Kevin DoddrellJanuary 12, 2021
How do you stay sucessful in 2021? Learn how to adapt to tech-savvy, self-sufficient clients and continue to create demand for your services!
Lon CunninghisDecember 15, 2020
2020 is finally ending! The new year offers an abundance of opportunity if we are willing to focus on new approaches, become more daring, and refuse to accept anything less than success.
Bill WallaceDecember 8, 2020
“But they have much better relationships than we do…” How many times do we hear this about the competition from our sales executives? First thought? What evidence do we have that this is the case?
Ian RamsbottomNovember 17, 2020
When faced with leading the largest deal of your career, how do you lead the pursuit team to a win? Read this article to find out the five critical parts of your deal winning strategy.
Kevin DoddrellNovember 10, 2020
How do you become the best of the best in your sales career? In this article, we give you four key areas of focus which will enable you to move ahead of the pack.
Ian RamsbottomOctober 13, 2020
When leveraged successfully, virtual selling – especially for strategic sellers, will afford you significant competitive advantage in the marketplace. Start with your camera! Learn more tips by reading this article.
Lon CunninghisSeptember 8, 2020
The anxiety and uncertainty caused by our new reality has created a lack of personal and professional momentum. Recapture your passion, commitment, and direction with secrets used by elite military, business leaders, and top performers.
Bill WallaceAugust 11, 2020
You would be surprised how many salespeople do not set and execute a strategy to outmaneuver the competition. This is especially prevalent with RFPs, where far too much time is spent on the solution. This…
Kevin DoddrellJune 17, 2020
In the post-pandemic world, the Service and Delivery Teams are critical to both protecting and growing revenue, and the Sales/Service partnership is more critical than ever.
Lon CunninghisJune 9, 2020
Gamers love the pursuit of extra lives, resources, and special powers. This is the thrill within the thrill of the game. Sounds like selling! Salespeople also love the thrill of acquiring extra powers in the…
Lon CunninghisMay 28, 2020
Welcome to the “new normal” of virtual selling like we have never seen before! This article provides five key guidelines on how we can create a virtual competitive relationship advantage and beat the competition.
Kevin DoddrellMay 12, 2020
Your value proposition doesn’t stand by itself. You need to make the right moves, with the right people, and tie it to the right outcomes. In this webinar, we discuss evaluating your go-to-market strategy, identifying…
Bill WallaceApril 21, 2020
What can be done to minimize deal slippage? Well, there are three critical success factors which, when executed well, can significantly improve your hit rate for deal signing. Are you aware of them?
Ian RamsbottomApril 14, 2020
Selling is being redefined and there are five skills you'll need to adopt in order to be effective. Start focusing on these to create the necessary momentum that will carry you through this challenging environment.
Bill WallaceApril 7, 2020
The global pandemic has forced companies to change how they work, which has significant impact on how we sell. Social distancing is another barrier and selling virtual may become the foreseeable new norm.
Lon CunninghisMarch 19, 2020
Every important interaction with a prospect or client must be intentionally planned to ensure maximum success. Learn the rules to “wiring” your discussions so Mr. Murphy doesn’t stop you from accomplishing your critical objectives.
Bill WallaceMarch 12, 2020
Most salespeople learn that “solution selling” is the way to win. But what happens when your solution becomes commoditized or there is a better solution on the market? How do you win then? If you…
Kevin DoddrellFebruary 19, 2020
Win Themes, poorly executed, sound like long, boring, bragging statements. They can ramble on about the benefits of products or services and likely sound a little different from any other competitor. Win Themes, at their…
Ian RamsbottomFebruary 11, 2020
Happy New Year! If you are like many sales professionals, you are thrilled to have survived the end of 2019 madness, and you are ready to jump into 2020! However, if you have growth targets…
Lon CunninghisJanuary 14, 2020
Many people believe the ultimate goal in working with our clients is to become their “partner,” and not just another vendor. Yet, in a traditional selling process, most salespeople have several conversations with the client…
Lon CunninghisDecember 10, 2019
Is a hidden danger lurking inside your Account base? Instead of having a competitive advantage as an incumbent, you may have a competitive liability! As leaders, we often recognize success and celebrate team wins. Yet,…
Bill WallaceNovember 21, 2019
How to best build superior business sales relationships has changed markedly over the last few decades. What has not changed is the sales theory that superior relationships can overcome a number of other weaknesses. I…
Kevin DoddrellNovember 12, 2019
The competitive sales world continues to change faster now than any time in history. We were all taught in sales school 101 the key to success was based on how well we could differentiate our…
Kevin DoddrellOctober 8, 2019
There is a major issue within Sales and Marketing that, if corrected, will pay immediate dividends. Too many of our salespeople are working too low in their client’s organization. They are limiting their upward mobility…
Bill WallaceSeptember 17, 2019
Why Executive Communication Fails 2.2 hours a day. That’s the average time people spend on social media each day. As if executives aren’t busy enough with all their responsibilities, this adds to their jam-packed days…
Bill WallaceSeptember 10, 2019
The most under-leveraged and misused asset in a sales opportunity is the Executive Team. Correctly involving themselves in an account or sales cycle is an art that few Executives have mastered. Executive customer calls are…
Kevin DoddrellAugust 13, 2019
The saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” is widely attributed to Albert Einstein. Those of us in Sales and Sales Leadership have related to that quote at one point…
Bill WallaceJuly 10, 2019
If you have participated in traditional sales training and learned how to create and deliver a compelling value proposition, you are probably doing it wrong! The old school training strongly reinforces the need to create…
Bill WallaceMay 15, 2019
Those of us who have been in business-to-business sales for a long time can easily recall being asked by our manager or coach about the ever-elusive decision maker. “Are you the decision maker?” We were…
Kevin DoddrellApril 8, 2019
To deliver a powerful message to an executive in order to move them to take further actions (the key purpose of a sales call), we need to clearly understand the context of the situation we…
Kevin DoddrellMarch 11, 2019
As we put the holiday parties, champagne and extra calories behind us many of us are looking forward to a financial win in 2019. How will you RISE above your sales targets from last year?…
Kevin DoddrellFebruary 11, 2019
Let’s be real: If someone asks an Account Manager to explain their role, most would say, “I am responsible for keeping strong, positive relationships in a customer account, solving their issues or questions that arise…
Lon CunninghisJanuary 7, 2019
Presenting an idea or a proposal to an executive is never easy, but its difficulty is compounded by the lack of financial justification. The term value proposition can easily be replaced with business case. Every…
Bill WallaceNovember 29, 2018
One of the most important positions within a company is that of a Sales Leader. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most precarious. The most recent estimate of a Sales Leader’s tenure is only…
Lon CunninghisNovember 2, 2018
You remember the 3 “Relationship Sins” that we all tend to fall victim to in our deals: We over-invest in the wrong people, We under-invest in the right people, and We miss key people in…
Lon CunninghisOctober 10, 2018
Before we can discuss the logical aspects of preparation, let’s first understand the dynamics of a meeting. There is a difference between attempting to “sell” people something and “moving” their position of belief. Here we…
Kevin DoddrellJune 25, 2018
Too many times salespeople stick to talking about their own products and services because that is where they are most confident and comfortable. They discount their personal knowledge and that of their company unnecessarily, thinking…
Debby RizzoMay 7, 2018
There are three secrets to selling that can immediately affect your performance if you embrace them, study them, and apply them. The secrets to selling are: Understand the political environment Be human and explore emotions…
Bill WallaceApril 25, 2018
The Olympics are like Sales I don’t know about you, but I loved the 2018 Winter Olympics! It is a perfect analogy for success in the sales profession. Each Olympic athlete understands the psychology of…
Bill WallaceMarch 21, 2018
Every wise business person wants to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. How can we set ourselves apart? By having a very smart, clear, well executed and fully aligned Go-to-Market Strategy! A Go-to-Market Strategy…
Revenue StormMarch 19, 2018
The classic definition and role designation of “Hunters” and “Farmers” has become obsolete and counter-productive to a sales organization’s revenue growth. Traditionally, Hunters were people that enjoyed the pursuit of opportunities with new accounts, while…
Bill WallaceJanuary 4, 2018
Everything you want is on the other side of fear. Unfortunately, we all have moments of fear, doubt, or anxiety that keeps us from performing at our very highest levels. Interestingly enough, over-achievers may experience…
Bill WallaceAugust 4, 2017
When it comes to employing competitive strategy in key deals, many salespeople only do half the job. Besides executing a winning offense, you must also execute a winning defense by employing competitive countertactics that assist the…
Lon CunninghisJuly 14, 2017
Creating new opportunities within accounts may seem daunting. The fact is, it is relatively simple; it’s all about developing and sharing ideas with your contacts while helping their business and personal interests. The problem resides…
Bill WallaceJuly 10, 2017
The sales culture is ever-evolving, yet the aggressive approach has declined dramatically, creating issues central to accomplishing revenue plans. It is true, sales is more demanding with challenging complexity and reliance on technology, but many…
Bill WallaceMay 5, 2017
I am sure many of us affectionately remember playing Clue (aka Cluedo). The fun involved in following the clues, uncovering agendas, and taking risks — so many twists and turns throughout. It is a game…
Kevin DoddrellApril 6, 2017
The average solutions salesperson wins 2.5 out of every 10 deals. A big reason for that performance stems from chasing unqualified opportunities. That is the blunt truth. Every funnel yields a large number of opportunities…
Bill WallaceMarch 13, 2017
Take the “I think, therefore I am” statement, posed by philosopher Rene Descartes, a step further. Your subconscious mind will direct your energy to success, mediocrity, or failure, depending on your focus. Many of us…
Bill WallaceJanuary 9, 2017
There is a secret formula to exceed your sales goals consistently, but as you might expect, it takes work. The good news is that most people could do it if they chose to. Set a…
Bill WallaceSeptember 13, 2016
The most common concerns that managers have regarding their salespeople and customer relationships are: Do we know the right people? and, how strong is the connection with those people? In this office parody watch as…
Revenue StormOctober 3, 2013
