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…
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…
About 10-15 years ago, megadeals, especially IT service megadeals, were worth hundreds of millions of dollars… and in some cases, billions! IT service providers were set up to successfully manage and pursue these very large…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
As sales managers, what are our most valuable assets? Our sales team, of course… but arguably even more important are our prospects and clients, without whom we have no business. Consider this: our existing clients…
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…
“Pick me up at the airport and you can brief me about the client on our way to the meeting.” As a sales leader, have you ever asked one of your salespeople to do this?…
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.
The ability to connect and build a relationship “advantage” is still the most dominant differentiator, but it doesn’t have to be so serious. Learn five ways you can stand out from the crowd.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
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…
I first wrote about a trend I saw in Sales Leadership in 2014, and now, five years later, its reached epidemic proportions. It’s called “Whack-a-Mole Management.” You remember the arcade game. The moles would pop…
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…
There is a saying, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re probably in the wrong room.” Unfortunately, we all fall into the trap where we rely on our experience and position to, perhaps…
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…
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…
As Sales Leaders, the most effective weapon we have to achieve our sales goals is the team’s ability to conduct compelling interactions with their prospects and clients. In the context of sales call execution, a…