In the sales world, where capturing attention, mastering communication, and building genuine connections are the name of the game, we can often find inspiration in the most unexpected places. If you have ever marveled at…
Proof of Concepts (POCs) or “Pilots” are an excellent way to break into new accounts or companies. They are also a great way to flank a competitor where you are behind or regain momentum in…
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.…
Can you remember the last presentation you sat through? If you can, then what can you remember about the presentation? What were the key messages? What did you learn? Was it compelling, or did you…
“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…
Sales managers are consistently required to deliver improved performance, not necessarily with increased resources, and even with reduced resources sometimes. Sound familiar? So, what can you do to ease the pressure and increase the team’s…
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…
The multitude of changes that COVID-19 has created within the sales profession has been well documented. Remote work has erased the benefit of tenure and outside experience to a degree, making interactions stale, boring, and…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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?…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…