Sales

Heavy Hitter Sales Blog
15,000 Salespeople later: IT'S SALES LINGUISTICS!!!

Steve Martin

8 Feb 2010 | 8:14 pm

January is one of my busiest times of the year and over the past thirty days I have had privilege of speaking to over 15,000 salespeople at annual sales kickoffs around the world. In order to prepare for these meetings I always interview the top salespeople of the company I will be speaking at. Over the years, this has resulted in thousands of conversations with true Heavy Hitter salespeople and from all of these conversations one important truth resonates... WITHOUT LANGUAGE you really wouldn't exist. You wouldn't be able to share your ideas, display your personality, and express…
Avoid the Year End Deal Cesspool!

Steve Martin

19 Dec 2009 | 9:56 am

Here’s one of my favorite year end sales stories… READ BRIAN'S STORY BELOW …” Brian was presenting his forecast in front of his teammates and explaining why a deal that he had originally forecasted to close in the quarter came in three months later. Here’s his story. Brian was excited that the account he had worked on for months had selected his software solution. After several weeks of ensuing price negotiations, a $300,000 purchase order was submitted into…
Q4 Forecast! Exaggerators, Sandbaggers, Heavy Hitters

Steve Martin

5 Dec 2009 | 9:41 am

The old saying that time is money is actually wrong. Time is actually far more important than money. Time is your most valuable possession. It’s also finite. You only have so many days in a month or quarter. That’s why I am not a big fan of making salespeople fill out laborious sales call reports, activity reports, and other long-winded forms. However, there is one form that I consider sacred, the forecast. Your forecast is the measuring stick of your credibility. It is the visible amalgamation of all your years of experience, sales intuition, intensity towards your job, and attention to…
Selling the C-Suite Using Sales Linguistics

Steve Martin

10 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am

In my new book Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince C-Level Executives to Buy, I help salespeople learn how to winover senior executives using Sales Linguistics. But what exactly is Sales Linguistics? Every day, you speak and listen to thousands of words. Through the words you speak, you are able to explain your ideas, recount your past experiences, and share your personality with others. Since the communication process comes so naturally, you assume you are understood. However, the most important words you speak during…
Sales Linguistics is Sales 2.0! Steve Martin Interview

Steve Martin

23 Oct 2009 | 8:55 am

I was recently interview by Mathew Schwartz for “Follow the Lead: Zoominfo’s B2B Sales and Marketing Blog” Here’s the interview: BEST ASSET FOR SALES EXECUTIVES DOESN’T COST A THING The terms have seeped into the sales lexicon: Sales 2.0, Sales 1.5, Web 2.0. The terms remind us that Philip K. Dick was probably onto something regarding where the 21st century is headed. But terms such as Sales 1.5 and Sales 2.0 really mean getting from Point A to Point B, and that has a timeless quality. For sales veteran Steve Martin, author of “Heavy Hitters Sales Psychology: How to…

Understanding the Sales Force
The Sales Assessment that Dave Kurlan Developed

Dave Kurlan

8 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave KurlanI am often asked how I can write so many articles. I have a few answers for that:Compared to the demands of writing my two books, Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling, writing a couple of paragraphs every day is a piece of cake;From my unique vantage point as a thought leader in two industries - the Sales Development Industry and the Assessment Industry, there is more article material than I will ever have time to write about;I usually choose topics that are bothering me at that particular moment in time.This is my 600th article since the…
How Does the Salesperson Affect Price Shoppers and Negotiators?

Dave Kurlan

7 Feb 2010 | 8:06 pm

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave KurlanMy friend, Dan Caramanico, is one of the authors of The Optimal Salespersson, a book Selling Power said is one of the ten you should read in 2010. Dan read my article about the Difference Between Selling to Negotiators and Price Shoppers and sent me this question:This is a great distinction. Any suggestion on how you can tell one from the other on a sales call? I know what the effect is if you hire a salesperson who is a price shopper. Any way to tease that information out of your data?Dan, I believe they are fairly easy to…
Real Live Coaching Call - Coaching a Salesperson

Dave Kurlan

7 Feb 2010 | 11:38 am

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave KurlanClients who receive sales management coaching, training and development come to know what an effective sales coaching conversation sounds like. You may not be privy to that so you might find last week's episode of Meet the Sales Experts helpful.Chris Mott was my guest and he coached a live caller for about 30 minutes. Listen to the show for a better sense of what every coaching conversation should sound like. The following email was received from the live caller the day after the scheduled sales call: "I did as you and Chris…
6 Steps to Sales Mastery - How to Get Salespeople to Evolve

Dave Kurlan

4 Feb 2010 | 12:50 am

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave KurlanSalespeople must evolve through six levels of development before they can consistently and successfully execute any process, concept, strategy or tactic they are trained and coached to perform. The six levels are:ListeningUnderstandingInternalizingEmbracingAttemptingMasteringIf there are hiccups at any one of those levels, they may continue on to the next level, but with an improper balance. For example, if they weren't listening carefully, and didn't quite hear the entire message, they will inappropriately approach the next 5 levels. If they…
Your Salespeople Can't Even Do That?

Dave Kurlan

2 Feb 2010 | 8:10 pm

Understanding the Sales Force by Dave KurlanYesterday, when meeting with a new client, he expressed his frustration over salespeople having difficulty with voice mail. That's the simple complaint. It's really much more. First the voice mail part: it's not getting calls returned, not getting through, not reaching decision makers. The bigger concern is that the issue is just now surfacing even though the salespeople have been with the company for months now. The biggest concern is that the VP/Sales Manager should have known about and solved this problem the first week it was…

Jill Konrath - Selling to Big Companies
FREE Telesummit for Overcoming Sales Sabotage: February 8-12th

Jill Konrath

3 Feb 2010 | 6:46 am

Many sellers struggle with self-sabotaging behaviors that literally keep them from achieving their goals. It's hard to believe that we would do this to ourselves, but many of us do. So let me ask you this .... Are you uncomfortable in your role as a "salesperson"? Do you hate to bother people or be pushy? Do you promise yourself you'll make more calls, but are always way too busy? If you have any of those feelings, you might want to check out the FREE Sales Summit for Overcoming Sabotage. Amy Palmer, The Fear-Bustin' Sales Coach, has pulled together 19 sales pros to…
BOLD Prediction #2: Sellers Need to be Better Marketers

Jill Konrath

1 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am

Hey Sellers! It's time for a wake-up call. You're dealing with crazy-busy buyers who don't act like they're supposed to anymore. That means you need to do things differently. Today I interview Chad Levitt, the New Sales Economy blogger and a practicing salesperson. I think you'll be real interested in what he has to say! Jill: Why do you think normal cold calling and prospecting is insufficient in today's marketplace?Chad: I'm in the sales game too and I know what it's like to make cold calls to people who have no idea who you are. I know how challenging it can…
BOLD Prediction: GREEN is the New GR$$N

Jill Konrath

28 Jan 2010 | 7:45 am

In my recent In 2010, I Predict Salespeople Will ... post, 24 sales experts shared their #1 prediction for the upcoming year. But only one sent me a "I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet" email and that was Mary Clare Hunt.Her focus? Green value, sustainable attributes and life cycle assessments. She's running a 16-part series on getting a Green Sales Edge in her Ecolutionary Selling blog right now that you might to check out. WHY SHOULD YOU PAY ATTENTION TO GREEN?According to Mary, we're at the beginning of an eco-market decade and it's critical to be seen…
Getting Up Close and Personal with Corporate Bigwigs

Jill Konrath

25 Jan 2010 | 8:41 pm

I recently spoke with Sharon Gillenwater, Founder of Boardroom Insiders, a company that creates executive profiles, relationship maps and custom research to help you develop an engagement strategy that'll get you in the door. (Click here to see a sample profile.)The key to getting their attention she says, is establishing relevance by referencing their specific "careabouts." While it sounds simple, it is usually easier said than done. Listen in to our conversation.JILL: Why are companies putting more emphasis on targeting the C-level? Aren't many buying decisions made…
Growing Your Business in the "New Normal"

Jill Konrath

20 Jan 2010 | 8:05 am

If you don't want to become a sales dinosaur, check out today's article by Rick Pulito, VP of Sales at BI Worldwide. Someone (I don’t know who) once said, “Success is not spontaneous combustion... you have to set yourself on fire.” Wow. What an intense visual, and so apt for the economy as we move into this new decade. Recently, I delivered a presentation entitled, “Building Your Business In A Down Economy”. While things are improving on certain levels, the economy remains mired in record unemployment and under-employment (lagging indicators) and…

B2B Lead Generation Blog
Lead Generation via Search: Comparing Quantity and Quality

Brian Carroll

2 Feb 2010 | 10:27 am

Have you wondered about where you should put your online lead generation budget into search engine optimization or paid search? Check out this new chart by MarketingSherpa, "Comparing the Quantity and Quality of B2B Search-Generated Leads": (click chart to expand) According to Sherpa, "While paid search gives marketers more control, natural search page rankings driven higher by search engine optimization tactics generate as many high-quality leads as all paid search sources combined." What do you think? Do these findings match up with your experience with using search for lead…
8 Lead Nurturing Thoughts to Share

Brian Carroll

1 Feb 2010 | 9:45 am

Here's few thoughts that I've had on lead nurturing that I'd like to share and get your input on: Lead nurturing supports the conversation of the customer before, during and after their buying process. Sowing + Nurturing = Reaping. As you sow, so shall you reap. A relationship properly sown, tended to, and helped along should reap a long and bountiful harvest. Lead Nurturing is about building relationships through relevant conversations, not campaigns. If your sales team is following up on nurtured leads, give them relevant/related talking points to use. The first impression matters. So…
The Best 20 CRM Blogs of 2009

Brian Carroll

29 Jan 2010 | 12:01 pm

Forecasting Clouds ranked the top 20 CRM blogs based on their content, readability and frequency of posting.As I read over the list of blogs, I discovered some new ones worth reading along with a number of others I already follow like John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing Blog; Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba who write the Church of the Customer; and David Raab, Customer Experience Matrix. I'm honored to have been included on the list and be included in such great company.Here's a partial list of the 20 CRM blogs on their list: PGreenblog and CRM: The Conversation – Paul Greenberg Beagle…
LinkedIn for lead generation - Are You the Missing Link?

Brian Carroll

29 Jan 2010 | 7:34 am

It takes time and commitment, but LinkedIn has become ideal venue to nurture relationships and generate new leads, especially for sales people involved in a complex sale. On that topic, I wrote an guest article for MarketingProfs, titled "10 Tips for Using LinkedIn to Generate Leads." MarketingProfs decided to make it a "premium article" so it's available only to paid subscribers. You can read some of the ideas I shared in this summary article published by MarketingProfs. Here's just a few of the ideas I share: Create a polished and personally branded profile on LinkedIn. Join LinkedIn groups…
Targeting for better Lead Generation results and ROI

Brian Carroll

28 Jan 2010 | 8:43 am

Effective lead generation really depends on how much you know about your target audience and how well you use that information to tailor a relevant messages and conversations.I thought this post by Carolyn Goodman for Target Marketing Magazine was a good reminder of how we can improve our lead-gen results by being more targeted with our messages. I know this is a basic idea and many of you do this this already but knowing something and actually doing it are two different things. This article prompted me to make really make sure I'm doing this consistently. Hopefully, it will prompt you too.

C-Level, Relationship Selling Blog
C-Level Sales Training Tip 16 - Conquer Executive Intimidation - Eliminate Sabotaging Self Doubt

Sam Manfer

5 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm

Learn how to turn around reluctance or shyness to pursue powerful and/or desirable individuals in this article. Change intimidation into productive and enviable relationships. Intimidation is a form of self doubt which keeps us from networking and approaching the people we’d like to meet and know we should meet, i.e. influential and C-level decision makers.
C-Level Sales Training Tip 15 - Creating the Confidence Necessary to Win-Over C-Level Executives

Sam Manfer

25 Jan 2010 | 4:48 pm

Confidence is what C-level decision-makers want to see in their selling partners. The best way to become confident is to prepare. Here’s how.
C-Level Sales Training Tip 14 - Credibility Is the Magic for Selling to C-Level Executives

Sam Manfer

14 Jan 2010 | 5:59 pm

Credibility is paramount to sell, and develop professional relationships with C-levels and other powerful people. This article will explain the simple process to establish and enhance your credibility with C-Level executives, doctors, and other influential people.
Sales Management - Your Next Sale Is the Game of Your Life

Sam Manfer

6 Jan 2010 | 10:14 am

No matter you're a salesperson or sales manager every sale has a significant and immediate impact on your career. Everyday you play the game of your life. Learn how to make it to the playoffs and win with this article.
C-Level Selling Tip 13 - Replacing Embedded Competitors

Sam Manfer

21 Dec 2009 | 3:57 pm

Steal share from competitors within 6 weeks. Learn how easy it is to get business from your competitors’ top customers.

The Growth Guy
Pride and Price; 19 Years of Consecutive Growth; How to Run a Company

Verne Harnish

4 Feb 2010 | 9:47 am

"...keeping you great" HEADLINES: Run the Business As If You Are Going to Sell It Tomorrow -- this is one of the best pieces of advice Tim Danley, CEO of Des Moines-based wholesale commercial printer BCT Midwest , ever received. He noted this in an email to a friend whose 65 year old father wants to exit his business by age 70. The business has suffered the last two years and he wants to maximize profit over the next 5 years to maximize valuation. Clean It Up -- Tim goes on to say to his friend "my suggestion would be for your Dad to go from top-to-bottom in the business and…
Feb 4 Call; Facebook Founder's Advice; The Book I Almost Didn't Read; Las Vegas Sales Summit

Verne Harnish

2 Feb 2010 | 11:32 am

"...keeping you great" HEADLINES: Thursday, Feb. 4, 2pm ET -- "Improving Sales Productivity 10-Fold" -- no cost 30 minute conference call with Australian Justin Roff-Marsh, leader in Sales Process Re-engineering. For more info . Facebook Founder's Advice -- 250 of you are receiving copies of Jeff Jarvis's 2009 book What Would Google Do? complimentary of Gazelles. Go to the chapter entitled "New Society" and read Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg's advice (the youngest self-made billionaire in history). In essence, you need to bring your customers…
Reducing Insanity; Critical Processes; Living Longer; European Tour

Verne Harnish

28 Jan 2010 | 12:43 pm

"...keeping you great" HEADLINES: Must Watch Documentary -- Thomas Friedman, the acclaimed NY Times columnist and author, featured Steve Mariotti and NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) in his Sunday column entitled " More (Steve) Jobs , Jobs, Jobs, Jobs." He also mentions a recent documentary called "Ten9Eight" that should be watched by every student in the world (I showed it to my children) -- it's how a dozen students made it through NFTE's national business plan contest -- very well done! Take 3 minutes and watch the trailer then…
100 Best Companies; Tuesday's Election; New Management Position; Best Intel Wins

Verne Harnish

21 Jan 2010 | 11:57 am

"...keeping you great" HEADLINES: 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 -- SAS, the world's largest private software company and still led by its founder Jim Goodnight after 34 years, is Fortune Magazine's Best Company to Work For announced today. Rounding out the top 10: Edward Jones, Wegmans, Google, Nugget Market, Dreamworks, NetApp, Boston Consulting Group, Qualcomm, and Camden Property Trust. And a couple Gazelles' clients are getting large enough to make the list including The Scooter Store and TD Industries. Congrats to both of them! Better Intel; Faster…
Double Sales; Radical Sales; Topgrading you Daughter; Australia Growth Summit

Verne Harnish

19 Jan 2010 | 12:14 pm

"...keeping you great" HEADLINES:On-Demand Online Seminars Expiring -- the last day to purchase/view David Allen's (Getting Things Done) online seminar is this Friday, January 22; the last day for Dr. Robert Cialdini (Influence) is February 17. Double Sales -- My Hope For All Companies the Next Three Years -- I shot this 60 second video for Mike Maddock's Maddock Douglas website (he's using education-based content to drive marketing) outlining the two key focuses for the next three years -- Going Global; Getting Lean. Take a minute to watch, then take the challenge. The…

Photostream from Daylife

Garth's World
It’s 2010. Make a Decision Already!

Garth Moulton

3 Feb 2010 | 12:54 pm

Image by Getty Images via DaylifePeople that have never been in sales (particularly finance guys and lawyers, for some reason) always simplify the entire sales process down to the final stages of deal negotiation. They glorify your job as one money call after the other where all you have to do is hold tight on price, fend off the competition jackals and watch the money roll in. Oh to be so lucky. In my experience, the true enemy of the salesperson (besides self doubt, time, the IRS, head-in-the-clouds management, faulty products, traffic cops and the airline industry) is corporate inertia:…
Sales is for Humans

Garth Moulton

21 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am

Image via WikipediaMonday I celebrated the legacy of the great Martin Luther King Jr.by going to an afternoon movie (hey, at least I admitted it) called “Up in the Air.” I chose that film for two reasons: A) I read the book-on a plane, no less- and I wanted to see how much Hollywood would water down the sarcasm and satire of the original and B) because I have a man crush on George Clooney. Both inclinations were fully realized, although there was still a high enough concentration of corporate buffoonery for me to be entertained. Also, the screenplay was completely re-written to the point…
Getting a Leg Up at your Sales Kickoff

Garth Moulton

13 Jan 2010 | 1:48 pm

Image via Wikipedia Guess who's back? Back again Shady's back Tell a friend - “Just Lose it” by EminemJust Lose It - Eminem Happy New Year, everyone! I thought I would buck the trend of all the other “business” blogs out there and wait a couple weeks into the year to post. That is about how long the average person needs to renege on a bunch of hair brained resolutions, or in my case finish reading all the end-of-year pop culture magazine compilations of the Best and Worst (I’m addicted). Remember the last end-of-decade/millennium time?
Twas the Night Before Jigsaw

Garth Moulton

23 Dec 2009 | 3:23 pm

Twas the summer of ‘03, and sales numbers were lean,The economy was slow and competition was mean.Marketing was asked to create leads from thin air,Salespeople were pulling out tufts of our hair.The Internet provided company listings for free,but who sells to buildings, not you and not me.We sales types needed contacts or prospects to call,or we’d find ourselves working at Wendy’s by fall.Hoovers and One source tried to provide what was needed,But thousands of C-Level calls went unheeded.Doing the Admin shuffle was the industry norm,Or guessing at emails and spamming – bad form!When…
It’s Go Time

Garth Moulton

3 Dec 2009 | 12:55 pm

I have to admit that I am facing a bit of a writer’s block this week. Normally a topic just pops into my head, usually spurred by a conversation, and by the time I sit down to write the cake is already set and the frosting flows out. If that doesn’t Image by thinkpanama via Flickrhappen, then I just think back to when I was carrying a bag and some story will come to mind and then the only challenge is editing out all the R rated material (that’s right, this blog is the edited version). Sometimes I even take a peek at some of the blogs I “follow” (meaning I read the headline in the…

THE SALES FORCE PLAYBOOK
DRIVE

CHRIS CARLSON

4 Feb 2010 | 7:35 am

If you lead or manage a sales team, a must read book is Drive by Daniel Pink.In the past, we have relied heavily on the "carrot and stick" method of motivation. As the sub-title suggest, you may be surprised at what truly motivates people in this day and age.
DRINK THE KOOL-AID

CHRIS CARLSON

3 Feb 2010 | 9:54 am

In a recent sales coaching session I was conducting, the salespeople relayed story after story of how they were telling their suspects/prospects about the great product they had to offer.After several questions on my part, one of the salespeople in the room said, "I am sitting here listening to all of this and what has hit me like a ton of bricks is that we asking people to drink our Kool-Aid and we don't even know if they are thirsty. Even if they are thirsty, we don't know if they like Kool-Aid."Are your salespeople asking their prospects to drink the Kool-Aid too…
PRE-APPROACH LETTERS

CHRIS CARLSON

25 Jan 2010 | 7:59 am

Bill Cates recently wrote an interesting piece in his weekly e-newsletter. He told of a study he did a few years back for a group of financial advisors to determine the effectiveness of pre-approach letters.The results of that study? He found that a pre-approach letter had no impact on an advisor's ability to get an appointment or to write the business. However, for many advisors, they felt more "comfortable" making the call after the letter was sent.So if you want to save a lot of time and money, don't send the…
CAPABILITIES PRESENTATION

CHRIS CARLSON

11 Jan 2010 | 4:35 pm

I was working with a group of salespeople last week and we were discussing opportunities in their pipelines. One salesperson described where he was in the sales process and what his next step was going to be.He had met the prospect for the first time and they had a pleasant meeting. The salesperson suggested that the next step would be for he and his team to come in and do a "capabilities presentation." When I asked why that was his recommendation he responded, "because then they will know if they should do business with us."While "capabilities…
ASK QUESTIONS

CHRIS CARLSON

4 Jan 2010 | 7:18 am

I spent a lot of time this past weekend at soccer fields watching my kids play. I ran into lots of parents and we shared pleasantries regarding the holidays. Then an interesting phenomenon took place. Whenever I talked about my kids, the conversation did not last that long. However, whenever I asked about their kids, the conversation was seemingly endless. Why? People love to talk about themselves and what is important to them.As a salesperson you accomplish so much more by asking questions than by talking about yourself, your company or your product.

Sales Training Motivational Speaker | Gavin Ingham
Video: Finding Your Personal Motivation, part i

info@gaviningham.net (Gavin Ingham)

6 Feb 2010 | 4:44 pm

Share this on Facebook Share this on FriendFeed Share this on Linkedin Tweet This! Related posts:Finding new client information, video 1 of 3 The ability to find out more about potential clients...Finding new client information, video 2 of 3 Finding new client information is essential if you want...Finding new client information, video 3 of 3 If you want to win new business you need... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Sales Training Tips From Readers…

info@gaviningham.net (Gavin Ingham)

3 Feb 2010 | 6:19 pm

Although some of my readers respond on the blog, many don’t, choosing to email me instead so I thought I would share with you a few inspirational… and not so inspirational tales, stories and whoops moments from some of my readers… In this first story, Sue shares with us how she manages to turn a client around after initially being rejected. She doesn’t use fancy sales techniques or gimmicky lines, she focuses on understanding and building trust with her prospect… Morning Gavin! Just wanted to share this with you… I work for the market leader in the UK for…
Cold Calling Blues?

info@gaviningham.net (Gavin Ingham)

28 Jan 2010 | 2:30 am

Just under a year ago, I bought a new car. Many of you may remember this as I mentioned a BMW dealer who showed a total lack of interest in my questions and enquiries. He effectively made my decision for me to buy from a different manufacturer. Anyway, I was reminded of this incident when I got this email from one of my readers… We lease some cars for sales staff on contract hire. Sales guy rings from the lease hire company and asks to be put through to me “Hello Mr Smith.” “Hi.” “How’s the cars going?” “Fine.” “Good –…
Failure for us is not an option

info@gaviningham.net (Gavin Ingham)

7 Dec 2009 | 9:18 am

I’ve been getting a few interesting letters recently and I loved this one from Julian Athawes of Halomec in answer to my blog post last week (What would you achieve if you knew you couldn’t fail?) talking about how important attitude is for the success of a company… Hi Gavin, I must admit to normally ’skimming’ over your mails, I will try to absorb the content a little more in the future as there is some good stuff in there. I have just stuck the attached poster on our office wall… (poster received but I can’t use it here as I do not have the image…
What would you achieve if you knew you couldn’t fail?

info@gaviningham.net (Gavin Ingham)

2 Dec 2009 | 4:09 pm

I was meeting with a good friend of mine, Andy Smith (NLP and EI trainer), the other day and, over a tasty Chinese buffet lunch, we were talking about “things that truly make a difference”. Interestingly, and despite all of the training courses that we had both been on, we were in total agreement that you could track back the things that had truly made a difference for us to a handful of techniques and strategies. Perhaps more interesting still was the fact that, even with our very different backgrounds, it was very similar topics that had made the difference for both of us… And,…

The SalesRoundup Podcast
Sales Professional’s guide to Key Account Planning

SalesRoundup Podcast

8 Feb 2010 | 2:55 am

If you sell products and/or services that involve a long or complex sales process, or if you have major accounts that you do a lot of business with, or if you are slowly losing some of your best clients to your competitors and you can’t figure out why, then key account planning can have a tremendous impact on your success. In part one of this three part series on Key Account Planning Joe and Mike discuss why key account planning is important, how to go about creating a plan and the various components that need to be in your plan. Try our FREE Prospecting System Send an email to Mike…
Income Opportunity – Make money by being a reseller

SalesRoundup Podcast

25 Jan 2010 | 2:18 am

In the past two SalesRoundup podcasts Joe and Mike introduced you to SENDOUTCARDS - a product that Joe and Mike believe can automate and improve any salesperson’s customer/prospect relationship building as well as provide a systematic approach to generating referrals. In the last part of this three part series on SENDOUTCARDS Joe and Mike discuss how you can also make money by becoming a reseller. To get your FREE Card Send an email to Mike and Joe and we will send you the test drive link! Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Listen to this weeks Sales Podcast Sales Podcast and Sales Blog…
Increase your Referrals exponentially

SalesRoundup Podcast

17 Jan 2010 | 8:54 am

The most successful sales people are the ones who have learned the value of generating referrals. A successful referral system generates more revenue and costs less than the alternative which is cold calling, advertising and marketing alone. However most sales people don’t know how to go about creating referrals. They lack a systematic approach. In part two of this three part series Joe and Mike discuss a successful strategy for cultivating referrals from your clients and introduce you to a unique product that takes the time-consuming work out of the process, is easy to use, cost…
Building better relationships and improving client retention with Send Out Cards

SalesRoundup Podcast

10 Jan 2010 | 10:27 am

Statistics show most sales take at least 5 contacts with a client or prospect. In fact, 80% of sales are made on or after the fifth contact. Many sales people never make it to 5. A lot of them stop trying to connect after the first or second attempt. Even worse if a client DOES buy most sales people don’t bother with any follow up communication. Studies show the #1 reason customers stop doing business with a company is “perceived indifference,” meaning they feel taken for granted and neglected. Good, consistent communication is key to building great customer…
The SalesRoundup Holiday Show

SalesRoundup Podcast

30 Dec 2009 | 2:35 am

Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Listen to this weeks Sales Podcast MP3 Stream Download MP3 Sales Podcast and Sales Blog SalesRoundup.com No related posts.

sales training blog - startup sales mentor
Why focus on utilizing web awareness and strategic email delivery i.e. forms of Sales 2.0

Karl Goldfield

7 Feb 2010 | 6:54 pm

Yes, it is a damn long title! And it should be; why? Because, there is this mystery shrouding Sales 2.0 that just needs to go away. This is not Merlin in a secret chamber alchemy, it is simply progression of systems and implementation designed to enable sales teams to have real time access to the [...]
And we are back online! 2010, Sales 2.0, and beyond…

Karl Goldfield

1 Feb 2010 | 12:23 am

After six months in the trenches, a hiatus that has included massive personal and professional change, I am glad to say we are back blogging in full force. 2010 will prove to be a challenging year for sales teams and startups alike. With that in mind the focus this year will be on boot strapping [...]
New Episode – Learning the Language of Your Buyers

Karl Goldfield

14 Jul 2009 | 8:53 pm

Sales Evangelist TV s the home of Karl Goldfield the startup sales mentor. He delivers concise plan based sales training in series designed to help the startup make more money. Every few weeks some of the best in the sales training business join him and get interviewed. Come join the awesomeness and make more sales! Next [...]
TopSalesExperts Summer Series 2009

Karl Goldfield

9 Jul 2009 | 7:27 am

We are very pleased to announce that the Top Sales Experts Summer Edition E-Book has been released and we think you’ll agree, that this is our best yet! You can download your copy here Many great minds are giving great advice on how to make more sales in the toughest of times. And yes, they even let [...]
Pipeline Management Series: “Diving is Not Your Roll, But You Have to Hold the Line.”

Karl Goldfield

7 Jul 2009 | 7:20 am

After the last post some of you may be irritated with my assumptions that you can defer questions at presentation time. You think, “But I work with technical people, I have to show them the details.” or maybe it’s, “If I do not handle everything in the first presentation, I may not get another chance.” Well [...]

Sales and Sales Management Blog
Guest Article: “Developing Sales Professionals in Today’s Complex Selling Environment,” by Jeff Thull

Paul McCord

8 Feb 2010 | 6:19 am

Developing Sales Professionals in Today’s Complex Selling Environment By Jeff Thull Today’s marketplace is characterized by the increasing complexity of the business problems we solve and the solutions we offer that address them. Combine that with a highly competitive market that offers abundant solution options, and you’ll find that many customers are overwhelmed with choices and are looking for guidance in making quality business decisions. Salespeople are the obvious source for this guidance, and there now may be more people influencing the decision to buy as it moves…
A Couple of Blog Milestones and Some Other Stuff

Paul McCord

5 Feb 2010 | 6:21 am

A Positive Milestone: 1,000 comments As every blogger knows, it’s tough to get people to interact with you on your blog. I took me a couple of years to finally get to the point where comments became somewhat frequent. I’m pleased to say that this morning the blog registered its 1,000th comment. Not a giant milestone, but still, progress. A Negative Milestone: 20,000 spam comments Coincidentally, this morning the blog also blocked its 20,000th spam comment. Spam, I’ve found, is the real cost of blogging. Spam comes at you in all forms, whether bots with sex, casino, or watch…
Guest Article: “Turn Selling Around,” by Ram Charan

Paul McCord

2 Feb 2010 | 8:07 am

Turn Selling Around by Ram Charan The heart of the new approach to selling is an intense focus on the prosperity of your customers. This is a radical departure from what most salespeople and selling organizations do. The entire psychological orientation is shifted 180 degrees. No longer do you measure your own success first. Instead, you measure success by how well your customers are doing with your help. You’re not focused on selling a specific product or service; you’re focused on how your company can help the customer succeed in all the ways that are important to that…
Networking That Really Works: A FREE Prospecting Webinar on Feb 18

Paul McCord

1 Feb 2010 | 6:34 am

Are you spending time at the chamber networking event or the morning leads exchange group and finding you’re just wasting precious time and energy for no return at all? Unless you’re an auto mechanic, a personal banker, sell cars, or are a dentist, the chamber event and the leads exchange group probably aren’t going to help you at all. If you sell sophisticated products and services or high dollar items, more than likely you’re not going to be meeting great prospects or getting many quality leads at these venues. The majority of people at the chamber event are other sellers…
Book Review: Selling Change: 101+ Secrets for Growing Sales by Leading Change by Brett Clay

Paul McCord

31 Jan 2010 | 8:16 am

Change is a natural part of all life and, consequently, a natural part of our sales lives. Nothing is static; not our products, not our prospects, not our clients, and certainly not our competitors. Change is the only constant. But surprisingly enough, change as a central theme of selling has seldom been addressed head-on. Brett Clay in Selling Change: 101+ Secrets for Growing Sales by Leading Change (ARIVA Publishing; 2010) changes that. As you can tell by the title of the book, change is the central theme of his sales philosophy. Clay argues that our job as a seller isn’t to…

Featured Blog Posts - EVERYTHING IS SELLING...
How to Answer the Toughest Sales Question.

Deborah Johnson

You could rehash your elevator pitch--but maybe you should try the truth. It was a moment most salespeople could appreciate. On April 13, 2004, President George W. Bush held a press conference at which he was asked, "What would you say your biggest mistakes have been and what have you learned from them?" The question left the President a bit tongue-tied and he finally left the question up to historians to decide. I'm confident Bush knew the features and benefits, so to speak, of his presidency by rote. He likely had answers for a wide variety of specific questions that could be asked. But…
Is Your Focus losing You Sales?

Deborah Johnson

If you can master this concept, I can with 100% certainty guarantee your close ratio will skyrocket, your clients will sell themselves, you'll build relationships, your customer retention rate will grow effortlessly, and your quota will seem insignificant. HERE'S WHERE YOUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE: When cold calling, prospecting, presenting, and selling Focus exclusively on the business issue that needs to be solved. Embrace the "pain." We hear that term all the time but rarely is the meaning of the word absorbed. How can anyone sell anything when they don't fully and completely understand why…
Go In Stupid - Come Out With A Sale

Mike Wagner

I sat down with Justin to conduct the sales interview. This was the moment of truth - would I be willing to be “stupid” long enough to make the sale? It was 1996 and I was selling a car called a Saturn. In those days, Saturn didn’t have much to offer: 4-cylinders, 100 hp (if you splurged you could get the dual-overhead-camshaft version with an extra 24 hp), and a plastic body. To say the least, it was your basic automobile. What Saturn lacked in a glitzy product it made up in a rock-solid sales process that worked - as long as you committed. Key requirement: Not assuming you knew what…
How to make price negotiation- Simple.

Deborah Johnson

Pricing: I deliver the same message- EVERY TIME; the sooner the better and if a prospect calls you-I deliver this message in the first call. Bob/Mary- let me get this on the table, because I think it's important information for you to have before we get into this process. I really want to do business with you and I appreciate your considerating "your companies name." I'm going to assume your speaking with or will speak with my competitors if you haven't already. The thing is, I am going to be the most expensive, there is no question about it. We always are. Now, having said that, I can tell…
Strategic Questions Will Uncover Strategic Opportunities

Andrew

The late Peter Drucker said “true marketing starts out with the customer, his demographics, his realities, his needs, his values. It does not ask ‘what do we want to sell?’ It asks ‘what does the customer want to buy?’ So, why have so few people figured out how to routinely and systematically uncover this fundamental insight? And why do few senior managers pay more than lip service to encouraging or requiring their sales forces to discover the answer? One reason is that in the quest to create a “sales-driven culture,” companies push muscular sales tactics that often subordinate…

Inside Sales Experts Blog
Thoughts on Rapport, Cold Calling & John Madden

Matt Bertuzzi

4 Feb 2010 | 12:52 am

The other day I was listening to an interview on selling blunders that Mike Schultz from RainToday, had with Dan Seidman, sales coach and author of Sales Autopsy. Dan shared a truly horrific sales story, which I've transcribed: Rick is a Field Rep for a printing services company. For 6 months, he's been tracking the President of a target firm to get a meeting. He finally gets the appointment and is let into his office. The office is so impressively decorated that Rick admits to being pretty intimidated. Remembering that early on in his selling career, Rick was taught how to build…
Ego, Money & Fear

Patrice Murray

1 Feb 2010 | 11:04 pm

The other day, I read a post by Dave Kurlan on 3 Powerful Excuses for Maintaining Mediocrity in Your Sales Hiring. Quite a provocative title, no? I read Dave's points from my perspective as s a former Inside Sales Manager. I have to admit blushing with a bit of embarrassment as I recognized past mistakes in his points. To set the stage, Dave presented on a Sales hiring webinar and was asked: If your recruiting process works so effectively, and your assessments are so predictive, and they save so much time and money and consistently identify top performers, then why don't more companies use…
Tenured Entitlement is Your Enemy

Gail Milton

25 Jan 2010 | 11:29 pm

The other day at the recent Boston AA-ISP meeting, I was speaking with a few Inside Sales Reps about challenges standing in the way of their success. Consistently the answer was "tenured entitlement". I asked the Reps to describe what they meant and here's what they shared: Tenured entitlement is when a Rep has some special status either based on past performance, longevity with the company or a relationship with management). They are separated from the roles & responsibilities of the rest of the team and not held to the same standards. So I dug a little deeper. How is this…
Social Inbound 2.0 - Buzz or Buzzkill?

Trish Bertuzzi

20 Jan 2010 | 11:08 pm

I had the pleasure recently of doing an interview with Chad Levitt for his New Sales Economy Blog. We discuss a range of topics: changes to the sales profession, inbound marketing, Sales 2.0 & the "arrival" of Inside Sales. A big thanks to Chad for the opportunity! Chad: The term Sales 2.0 is getting a lot of buzz and attention - what is the buzz is all about and why is it important? Trish: The buzz is all about the buzz....every once in a while the next great thing comes along and right now the next great thing is Sales 2.0. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a Sales 2.0 advocate but…
Towards a New Model for Inside Sales Motivation

Matt Bertuzzi

19 Jan 2010 | 5:59 am

Note: I've been thinking about this post for a while and the earthquake and it's aftermath in Haiti have really brought it top of mind. Many Executives, and often Reps themselves, will describe salespeople as "coin operated". That's what the spiff model is all about, right? Establish a goal Run a spiff Comp the winner Shame the losers (?) I recently ran into a post by Lilia Shirman over at Revenue Orchard where she asks: Maybe sales reps don't operate by the same rules as all other humans. But I doubt it. Would love to know for sure. Anyone out there who's tried…

Follow The Lead
Read this before checking your e-mail (again)

mpschwartz

9 Feb 2010 | 11:07 am

Julie Morgenstern There’s a scene in Woody Allen’s Oscar-winning Annie Hall in which Allen’s character, Alvy Singer, bemoans to his buddy, Rob, that “everything your parents said was good is bad: sun, milk, red meat, college.” Fast forward 33 years. Most everyone says it’s good (if not necessary) to check your e-mail first thing in the morning. But it can be lethal. When sales reps check their e-mail before embarking on any other work, they put themselves in a reactionary, scattered-like mode, rather than starting the day in a productive, more focused mode, said Julie…
Study shows sales firms can’t cut their way to growth

mpschwartz

8 Feb 2010 | 11:09 am

The latest Sales Performance Optimization study, via CSO Insights, makes a convincing case for cognitive dissonance between sales managers and their sales teams. According to the study, which surveyed more than 2,800 companies worldwide, the percentage of sales reps making quota in 2009 dropped to 52%, from 59% in 2008. As a result, overall revenue plan attainment dropped to 78% from 85% during the same period, the study said. But the culprit for declining quotas is not hard to find. The study found that many companies slashed their investments in their sales teams: Lead generation budgets…
Is your company ready for social media?

mpschwartz

4 Feb 2010 | 9:49 am

Jeanne C. Meister Q&A | Jeanne C. Meister In a follow-up to Wednesday’s blog post plugging the must-see documentary “Digital Nation” on PBS, we spoke to Jeanne C. Meister, founding partner at Future Workplace (www.futureworkplace.com) and co-author of the upcoming book, “The 2020 Workplace How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop & Keep Tomorrow’s Employees Today” (Harper Collins, May 2010). Meister, whose Web site, New Learning Playbook, examines innovations in building social networks, regularly consults with companies on developing…
Facing the (Digital) Nation

mpschwartz

3 Feb 2010 | 11:11 am

Freaked out by the velocity of change in business and culture wrought by the Internet and its growing-like-a-weed offspring, social media? It’s understandable. Most every day there is a flurry of stories on social media; some of them thumb-sucking articles on the benefits/drawbacks of social media while others enumerate how businesses can craft a social-media strategy. However, for a primer on where digital technologies may take us as a culture – as well as a fascinating history of how the Web has changed behavior – check out this superb documentary from PBS’ Frontline, titled,…
The Sweet Spot: Less turf, fewer battles

mpschwartz

2 Feb 2010 | 9:23 am

Jay Bower, president-CEO, Crossbow Group (This article marks the debut of “The Sweet Spot,” a new column in which we get the perspective from C-level executives on sales and marketing trends. The column will run periodically.) For Jay Bower, president-CEO of marketing agency CrossbowGroup, there’s nothing like a prolonged recession to focus the mind. “I’ve seen more motivation in the last year and half between sales and marketing departments,” said Bower, whose clients include Intuit, DataCAD LLC, SalesLogix and Staples. “Sales execs are having a tough time generating…

Selling Financial Products by Michael Roby
Valentine’s Day Marketing

Michael Roby

1 Feb 2010 | 6:55 pm

Financial services professionals constantly look for ways to stand out among their competitors. Consider the following idea this Valentine’s Day to reach out to your clients. Some of your best clients are widows and widowers. What do these people not get anymore? Flowers and candy on Valentine’s Day. Make an impact – and do something really nice – this Valentine’s Day. Send something to these clients and show them someone cares. Will you get business or referrals from this? Maybe or maybe not, but do it anyway; it’s the right thing to do. Good selling!
More Than A Ball And A Photograph

Michael Roby

27 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pm

Last night at the University of Minnesota Men’s Basketball game, Coach Tubby Smith presented senior guard Lawrence Westbrook with a commemorative basketball in honor of Westbrook joining the “1,000 Point Club.” This occurred at center court prior to the game with much applause and many photos. I commented to my wife that, “He will cherish that ball and the photograph for the rest of his life.” Westbrook earned the ball not for anything he did yesterday, but for what happened over the last three and a half years. The photograph merely captured a moment of glory, which represented…
Understand What You Sell

Michael Roby

26 Jan 2010 | 6:02 am

Financial advisors commonly look for and attempt to offer the “best performing” investment products, in spite of the fact that one of the basic tenets of the industry is “Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.” An investment wholesaler (a true master of the profession) at a tier-one mutual fund recently shared an interesting thought: “Advisors don’t really want the ‘best’ fund; they just want a really good fund that they really understand.” Your job as an advisor is to match the proper financial strategies, products, and services with clients based…
The Great Digital Scavenger Hunt: Six Tools For Finding Professional Speakers Using the Web

Michael Roby

24 Jan 2010 | 8:34 am

Budgets are tight and getting tighter. Every facet of the meeting planner’s day involves facing an onslaught of details preparing for an event. Selecting sites that fit the bill, building menus, choosing premium items, and coordinating agendas with the input of multiple constituencies and coordinating an endless flood of details are just a few of your challenges. Selecting outside speakers from the oratory multitudes present unique challenges. In about one-third of a second, googling “Professional Speaker” offers almost 9.8 million choices, and you don’t have time to listen to all of…
New Years Resolutions

Michael Roby

4 Jan 2010 | 6:25 pm

Let’s make this short and sweet: What is one activity/project/behavior you want to START doing in 2010? What is one activity/project/behavior you want to STOP doing in 2010? What is one activity/project/behavior you want to KEEP doing in 2010? If you list and follow through on these three items, you are ahead of most people. Good selling!

Engaging Ideas By Colleen Francis
9 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am

Colleen

9 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am

When is a football game not just a football game? When it becomes a sales lesson as well! Here are 4 winning tips from Sunday’s big game that you can apply to your business today 1. Big risks can pay off big. The Saint’s on side kick to start the second half was a gutsy move, and one that they almost messed up. They came through big on the play, and by the clock’s count took only 3 minutes and 19 seconds to score a touchdown. If you aren’t going to take risks when the stakes are high when are you going to take risks? I think it was a bold move clearly designed by a…
Increasing Your Sales Productivity:Simple Steps for Profitable Time Management

Colleen

5 Feb 2010 | 5:33 am

Everybody is after me about Time Management these days. Specifically: “How do I manage my time each week to maximise my sales productivity” Assuming you have 40 hours in a week to spend on sales and invest in growing your business how best should you spend that time? Below you will find my suggestions for a schedule that is consistent with thriving in any economy. You might notice that the total number of hours adds up to more than 40 because I know that some of the ideas I am suggesting may not apply to you – or you might just downright refuse to do some of them despite my constant…
Sales Lessons from Top Performers -in Suprising Places!

Colleen

4 Feb 2010 | 10:48 am

Conrad Inspecting the Renovations We’re having some work done on our condo this week which makes work a little messy and noisy! I had no idea that they would have to use a special nail gun, loaded with 22 caliber rounds of ammunition to shoot nails through concrete. Ironically, all for a soundproofing project. We hired a small local contractor to complete the work and as I watch them work I am reminded of a couple important sales lessons. (1) They were referred to us by a trusted source. Last year What’s Working in Sales…
The Most Important Step in Sales

Colleen

3 Feb 2010 | 4:27 am

A recent poll of Engage customers revealed a shocking habit. When asked, “How much time per day do you spend prospecting” 29% responded less than 1 hour a month prospecting for new business, 44% less than half a day, and only 17% at least one full day per month. Pathetic!! Considering that prospecting is the number one secret to sales success there must be a number of struggling sales professional out there. I can’t say this often or emphatically enough, “There is no sales problem that good prospecting skills can’t solve” I know that you are getting tired…
Time is running out! PLUS, get your recording!

Colleen

2 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pm

Good news – you still have until TOMORROW to save $1200 on my Sales Mastery Workshop. You’ll pay just $1497 for this course, rather than the usual $2697. Plus you can still take advantage of our easy 5-pay option. And don’t forget about your recording of my free January 21 call, “5 Secrets On How You Can Sell More in 2010.” It’s still available! You’ll want to download it as soon as possible so you can hear the answers to all your questions about selling more in this “new” economy – and start selling more right away! Click here to…

ChangingMinds
Happiness: Retail Therapy

6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

One way you can find happiness (at least temporarily) is to go shopping.
The Art of Being Right: Postulate What Has To Be Proved

6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

'Postulate What Has To Be Proved' is one of Arthur Schopenhauer's strategems from his original essay on argument and persuasion.
Theories: Restraint Bias

6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

'Restraint Bias' is where we think we can control our urges - which of course is more difficult than we think.
Guest article: Prospects Aren't Really Prospects

6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Here is a guest article on sales.
Figures of Speech: Hypocorism

6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

Here's a definition and discussion on the figure of speech known as 'Hypocorism'.

Modern B2B Marketing | Marketo Blog
Marketing Automation: Simple Ways to Get Started

Maria Pergolino

8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

For B2B organizations looking to shorten sales cycles, increase revenue and achieve better marketing ROI, marketing automation is the natural answer. These automated solutions manage the process of converting prospects to buyers by automating tasks and workflows such as: Demand generation Lead management Sales and marketing alignment But for B2B organizations yet to embark on marketing automation, the idea of automating all tasks and workflows in the revenue cycle can be overwhelming.To create a manageable plan for automating marketing functions, try one or more of these 5 simple ways to get…
Marketing Automation Maintenance Checklist

Maria Pergolino

4 Feb 2010 | 11:20 pm

While marketing automation may allow your lead nurturing campaigns to be delivered to the right person at the right time and hot leads to pass to sales at the moment they are researching your product, that does not mean that your marketing programs do not need maintenance. By following this quick checklist, you will make sure your marketing automation campaigns continue to help leads move through your pipeline and keep your sales team happy. Every week Look for big changes in PPC, SEO, or email campaign results that may indicate a form or link may be broken Review leads to make sure sales…
You Don’t Know Jack About Online Marketing – More than Just the Coolest Marketing Game Ever

Maria Pergolino

4 Feb 2010 | 12:55 pm

Today, Marketo launched a fun interactive game called You Don’t Know Jack about Online Marketing. Within minutes of the launch, we had hundreds of marketers testing their skills to see how their knowledge stacked up compared to their friends and marketing peers. There has been lots of great feedback, but we have received a few questions about why we’d create this online marketing quiz. This effort doesn’t directly generate leads, and doesn’t require registration to play, so why create this game? Marketo sees this type of quiz as content, similar to a white paper or…
Marketing PSA: Beware of the “Evergreen Renewal"

Patrick Donnelly

29 Jan 2010 | 1:26 am

Concocted in the back of some unscrupulous lawyer's mind, the Evergreen Renewal has become wildly popular amongst SaaS companies. Its true origins are unknown, but the magazine and commercial real estate industries have made practice of it for many years. For those that are unaware of the Evergreen Renewal (AKA auto-renewal): it is a clause often hidden deep in the back of contracts to automatically renew, usually 30 days before the expiration of the original agreement. The renewal term is often for the same length as the original agreement. A company signs an agreement, typically for…
Introducing Seed Nurturing

Jon Miller

27 Jan 2010 | 12:35 pm

One thing you'll notice about most lead nurturing campaigns is the fact that they usually take place after prospects land on your site and enter your database. However, what happens when qualified prospects visit your site or social media sites anonymously where you don't necessarily have their names or e-mails? This is where seed nurturing comes into play. Seed nurturing is the process of building relationships with qualified prospects before you have their contact information. It comes down to is this: prospects are educating themselves long before you actually identify them by landing on…

Sale News
Real-estate association's rules challenged

9 Feb 2010 | 3:57 am

The Competition Bureau says it's challenging rules imposed by the Canadian Real Estate Association, a body that represents more than 98,000 real-estate brokers, agents and salespeople.
Joan A. Schuller Named General Manager, North America for Dow Coating Materials

8 Feb 2010 | 2:09 pm

Joan A. Schuller has been named General Manager for the North American region of Dow Coating Materials, the global architectural and industrial coatings business of The Dow Chemical Company .
Aurora Networks Eyes Global Opportunities with New Vice President of Worldwide Sales

8 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am

Aurora Networks, Inc., the only optical transport solution provider focused on delivering a cost-effective, optimized platform for next-generation cable services, today announced that Pirjo Tuomi has joined the company as vice president of worldwide sales.
Apple Makes at Least $200 Per iPad Sold: Report

7 Feb 2010 | 7:28 pm

Written on February 01, 2010 by Darrell Etherington and 15 people have commented Maybe it's a hangover from my days working in electronic retail sales at Best Buy, but I love hearing about the profit margins companies have for their devices.
Oracle puts the squeeze on Sun channel

6 Feb 2010 | 7:16 pm

Comment Oracle has come out with a firm message regarding Sun's sales strategy: it will change.

Sales and Marketing Blog
Making the Most of Your Marketing Plan

Simona Rusnakova

1 Feb 2010 | 2:40 am

You work with a marketing planning consultant, get your marketing plan done, pay a significant amount of money – and then let it get lost among other papers on your desk. Sounds familiar? Well, the value of marketing planning really is in the ability to take action and execute the plan. This is why we, before [...]Technorati Tags: marketing plan, marketing planning, marketing strategy
How many millionaires will 2010 create?

Peter Lawless

24 Jan 2010 | 3:02 am

During the great depression and crash back in 1929, it is said that more millionaires were created than in the preceding 10 years! Does this mean that instead of looking at 2010 as a time of gnashing of teeth, that some people will knuckle down and lay the foundations for their future wealth and success? Will you [...]
Create a Formula for Communication

Peter Lawless

9 Sep 2009 | 6:01 am

The value of having a script is that everyone sings off the same hymn sheet. A powerful alternative and selling strategy for your business. You can communicate directly with your customer and give them qualified advice. You will get direct and clear feedback from the people you call to. Your people will understand their responsibility when approaching customers on the phone and they will have more confidence and proficiency. How you go about doing it? It is essential to maintain a certain unity in all your communications, especially with the external environment. To assure this, it is…
Leaving Your Clients Hanging?

Peter Lawless

3 Sep 2009 | 6:00 am

Speak to your clients about how they can get value, while waiting on hold. This tool is widely accepted and can be used by all business types. You can use the time while the customer is waiting on the phone and tell them more about your company, something they did not know before. The on-hold messages can be designed according to your business style or you might even play your radio ads. How you go about doing it? It is essential to maintain a certain unity in all your communications, especially with the external environment. Make sure that the message you play to your customers follows this…
The Magical Mystery of Wrapping

Peter Lawless

2 Sep 2009 | 5:59 am

Your packaging is the first impression your customer gets, so make it beautiful, appealing and enticing. Some highly successful companies will actually spend more on the packaging than on the product! If you are in the gift business, the impact comes from the packaging, so make it amazing. You can play a lot with the graphic design of the packaging – colours, pictures, messages. Also include all the necessary information about what’s inside, for those curious souls. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression!

Sales Java™ Blog
5 Things You Must Control to Create Sales Swagger

Tony Cole

3 Feb 2010 | 7:04 am

People in general feel beaten down when they feel out of control. Understand, and this is my perspective, feeling out of control is a result of a decision. That decision being to be ‘out of control’. In other words, if a sales team spends its time and effort talking and worrying about the economy, then that means they spend less time doing what they can be doing to generate revenue. It’s a choice. At the annual BISA conference, one of the keynote speakers from the Wharton School of Business made it clear that the marketplace did shrink but it didn’t…
Incentives for driving sales results

Tony Cole

28 Jan 2010 | 1:39 am

As a manager of sales or as a sales person you may have asked or inquired: what really motivates me to sell. What is it that I could do or the company could do that would be an incentive for me to sell more? You should subscribe to the newsletter in this post from Selling PowerHere is an article on incentives and selling.
Losing Sales

Tony Cole

25 Jan 2010 | 8:18 am

First, you can't lose a sale that you didn't have. Sales people are great at telling about the sales that they lost. That's like getting a fish in the boat and having the fish jump out of the boat. You had it then you didn't. That is losing. What sales people are really describing is 'not winning the sale'. You may say it's semantics: if you don't win, then you must have lost. Okay, so maybe we should say that people are "awarded" the business like they do with public bids instead of calling it "winning" and "losing". But that is not the point of this…
How Do You Change Sales Behaviors?

Tony Cole

21 Jan 2010 | 11:34 pm

Tony Peckich from Lincoln Financial Distributors, this is a great question. I have an answer - it is short, but not simple. First, my previous post about personal goals should help with the process of getting sales people to change behaviors. But a process alone won't do it. You do have to dig deeper and explore. What I mean by that is: Do the sales people in question actually have the motivation to change? Think about the last time you were unhappy with a result that you got. Let's start with sales results. In a word, how would you describe…
Do Simple Goals Lead to Better Sales Results?

Tony Cole

21 Jan 2010 | 10:56 pm

This question was asked by Mark A. Mullican from AXA Equitable. Mark was attending the sales conference sponsored by BISA last December in LaCosta, California. Our topic was 5 Keys to a Winning SalesTeam. One specific key involves 'Motivation that Works' and this question easily falls into that topic. First, thank you, Mark, for asking the question. Second, there isn't an easy answer to the question but here is my answer: I don't know that simple or complex is the real issue relative to getting people to perform better. Certainly, it contributes, but…

Sales Lead Insights: A Blog About B2B Lead Generation, Marketing and Sales
B2B Marketing University 2010 Kicks Off March 3 in Washington, DC

Mac McIntosh

8 Feb 2010 | 10:43 am

If you are a B2B marketer or are responsible for B2B lead generation, do not miss this half-day seminar on March 3, 2010 at the Westin Grand Hotel in Washington, DC. This all-new-for-2010 session of B2B Marketing University is focused on helping you stay ahead of the curve and excel in the changing B2B marketing environment. Join us and take your marketing and lead generation to the next level. As one of the presenters, I can promise you that you and your fellow attendees will get expert insights into the latest strategies and innovation you can deploy today to get better results and a…
The Top 10 Silly Marketing Mistakes B2B Marketers Make: Your Input Wanted (and Rewarded)!

Mac McIntosh

29 Jan 2010 | 10:53 am

We can’t promise to make you famous, but if you share your top 10 list of silly mistakes that B2B marketers make, we’ll include you in our upcoming e-book. My good friend, fellow blogger and B2B marcom consultant Dianna Huff and I are putting together an e-book on the top 10 silly B2B marketing mistakes — and we want you to be part of it! Here’s how: Use our special survey link to tell us what you think are the top 10 B2B marketing mistakes that others make. These can be anything from email or PPC ad campaign no-nos and social media blunders to “old…
B2B Ads From the Past

Mac McIntosh

15 Jan 2010 | 10:19 am

I always find it interesting to take a look at the work done by our predecessors in B2B marketing. In post in Jackie West’s UK Industrial Marketing Blog, she mentions Richard Stone’s Insights into PR and Online Marketing blog post where he links to The Vintage Ad Browser. Simply click on one of the categories in the Vintage Ad Browser, or type something into the search window, and you will get to see some of the advertising work done by those B2B marketers that came before us in what then was called “industrial advertising.” Speaking of B2B advertising from…
B-to-B Lead generation: What Enterprise-size Companies Should be Doing Differently in 2010

Mac McIntosh

5 Jan 2010 | 8:06 am

If you are responsible for business-to-business lead generation at a large company, don’t miss this webcast! Lead Gen in 2010: Learn What is Working Best Right Now January 27, 2010 at 11:00 am PST (2:00 pm EST) This one-hour webinar will cover: The latest trends in B-to-B lead generation, and how you can leverage them; Which lead gen strategies and tactics are working best, and which no longer work for enterprise companies like yours; The pros and cons of various marketing media for generating, nurturing, and qualifying leads. Why not register right now? The webcast will…
B2B Marketing Strategies for Small Companies: An Interview with Dianna Huff

Mac McIntosh

29 Dec 2009 | 6:18 am

This is one of a series of occasional interviews with top practitioners on topics of interest to business-to-business lead generation, marketing and new business development professionals. My guest today is Dianna Huff of DH Communications. Dianna helps businesses with their B2B marketing communications content strategy and implementation. Dianna, what are some of the marketing mistakes you see smaller companies making with regard to B2B marketing communications strategy, and what should smart marketers do instead? Mac, that’s a good question. I see companies frequently making these two…

Sales Lead Management Association Blog
An Interview with Carlos Hidalgo, Annuitas Group, one of the "50 Most Influential Sales Lead Management Professionals"

James Obermayer

1 Feb 2010 | 4:08 pm

Company URL http://www.annuitasgroup.com Who are your mentors and why? I have had the good fortune of having many good people in my career that I was able to learn from and who gave me the opportunities to grow in my career. Two people in particular that come to mind are Randy Aronis and Jeff Honeycomb. Randy is the President of Ingenuity Sales Consulting and he and I met at the beginning of my career. Randy was the one who truly taught me what it was to manage a buyer relationship and how to sell effectively with the buyer at the center of the process. Jeff Honeycomb was the President…
Are Marketing Managers Victims of Learned Helplessness?

James Obermayer

25 Jan 2010 | 9:24 pm

How do Marketing Managers breakout from being LMH Victims? The condition called Learned Helplessness, was discovered and popularized by psychologist Martin Seligman. He found that when he placed dogs into an inescapable environment and administered electric shocks the dog will eventually stop trying to escape. If the dog was placed into an environment where it could escape and given shocks it would not try to escape. It learned to give-up. This discovery has had a major impact on human psychology. This same issue stalks the lives of marketing and marketing communications managers the world…
Sales & Marketing Management and the SLMA Partner on a New Business Social Networking Site for the Industry

James Obermayer

19 Jan 2010 | 10:42 am

New York (January 19, 2010)—In partnership with the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA), Sales & Marketing Management (SMM) launched SMMConnect.com, a new social media and networking community exclusively geared toward sales and marketing professionals. Registration is open to everyone—sales and marketing executives and association members, students, and suppliers—and is completely free. Members are encouraged to create their own profiles; network and find mentors; form discussion or chat groups; share content and best practices; take part in and/or present educational…
SLMA Announces Winners in the "50 Most Influential Sales Lead Management List for 2009"

James Obermayer

18 Nov 2009 | 10:49 am

James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association has announced the results of the voting for the Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2009. A total of 1604 people cast votes. Obermayer said, "These men and women are creators of wealth and we recognize their contribution to this important field of managing sales leads." The list of the Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2009 follows in the order of most votes received. Jay Hidalgo, The Annuitas Group Carlos Hidalgo, The Annuitas Group Steven Woods, Eloqua Joe Lethert, Performark,…
Voting Ends in 6 hours and 6 Minutes for the 50 Most Influential People In Sales Lead Management

SLMA Management

13 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am

Last day voting is heavy as people rush to cast votes for the 50 Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2009. Vote Now. Regards,Sue Campanale ...

Sales Machine
How to Sell Like a Top Gun: Videos!

Geoffrey James

9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

Three videos from Waldo Wingman, world's most inspirational sales trainer! A Special Offer From Our Sponsor Comcast Business Class Look at your bill andfind out how much yourbusiness can save with Comcast Business Class. Internet, Phone & TV for $99. Learn More Ads by Pheedo
Grow Sales Geometrically in 5 Easy Steps

Geoffrey James

9 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am

Increase your sales using the principles of compound interest!
Five Rules for Effective Cold-Calling

Geoffrey James

8 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

Some quick guidelines for making your cold calling more productive
Are You Spending Enough Time Selling?

Geoffrey James

8 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am

A survey reveals how to manage your time to sell more! A Special Offer From Our Sponsor Comcast Business Class Look at your bill andfind out how much yourbusiness can save with Comcast Business Class. Internet, Phone & TV for $99. Learn More Ads by Pheedo
Podcast: 9 Common Sales Mistakes

Geoffrey James

5 Feb 2010 | 12:02 pm

Nine common sales mistakes and how to avoid them

Social Media Podcast and Sales Training Blog by Shane Gibson
Podcast Interview: What They Don’t Teach You At Stanford Business School – Larry Chiang

Shane Gibson

7 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

Today’s podcast is an interview with Larry Chang author of What They Don’t Teach You At Stanford Business School. Larry is also a seriously Sociable! guy and can be found organizing after parties at some of the biggest social media and cultural events from South by South West to conferences at major universities across North [...]
A Big Thank-you for Helping Make the Sociable Book Launch a Huge Success!

Shane Gibson

1 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm

A big thank you to all those that came out to the Sociable! Book launch party. The event was a massive success with over 500 people through the door of the V Lounge in Yaletown. Thanks You! PHOTOS: Have you seen the pictures from the launch party? You can see them here – http://www.facebook.com/SociableBook We will have a video from the [...]
12 Social Media Tips under 140 Characters

Shane Gibson

29 Jan 2010 | 5:38 pm

These are social media tips under 140 characters that I have posted on Twitter over the past week or so. For those of you who may have missed some, I have put them into an archived list here on my blog. Add your own tips and comments in the comments section if you would like. [...]
Podcast – Helping salespeople get smarter with digital assistants and technology

Shane Gibson

7 Jan 2010 | 11:29 am

Today’s podcast is with sales technology thought leader John Cousineau who is President of Innovative Information the creators of Amacus. John and I have had a number of coffee chats and debates around why and how to use technology and social media to improve sales performance and customer experience. The nexus of sales and social [...]
159 Social Media Tips From 2009 in 140 Characters or Less by @shanegibson

Shane Gibson

31 Dec 2009 | 10:54 am

If you follow me on Twitter you know that I like to tweet social media tips. This is a collection of social media tips under 140 characters that I tweeted out in 2009. It’s not all of them, just the ones I personally archived. They are chronologically organized from most recent to oldest. You will [...]

Selling to Consumers | Sales Training Blog by Skip Anderson
Sales News

Skip Anderson

5 Feb 2010 | 7:27 am

Branding expert Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology, was interviewed by Matt Lauer on the Today Show this morning. You can listen to my podcast interview with Martin Lindstrom on the Selling to Consumers Podcast.< < < > > > I've been named to "The Sales 2.0 Pro Bowl Team" along with such notables as Gerhard Gschwandter (Publisher of Selling Power magazine), Jeb Blount, and fellow Minnesotan's Jill Konrath and Lee Salz. There are AFC and NFC teams. I was assigned to the NFC team. Check out the list of sales experts on the Sales 2.0 Pro Bowl…
The One Thing Better Than Selling with Enthusiasm

Skip Anderson

31 Jan 2010 | 12:42 pm

"Enthusiasm really IS contagious, and many times your customers buy your belief in your product as well as the product itself."-Mike Brooks "People naturally get swept up into excitement and enthusiasm when they are surrounded by what they think is natural and authentic excitement."-K.B."...come to the realization that enthusiasm is the ultimate secret weapon of all the great salespeople in this business."-Jeffrey F. KnottEnthusiasm transfers emotion from the salesperson to the prospect, right? Enthusiasm is contagious, yes? Enthusiasm breeds more enthusiasm,…
When Sales Performance Incentives Don't Work

Skip Anderson

28 Jan 2010 | 5:03 am

I have often been an advocate of increasing incentive pay and lowing base pay for salespeople in the B2C space. But increasing the portion of income that can be derived from commission won't work for all types of sellers.Let's look at four different salespeople: > Salesperson 2 is highly skilled at selling, and is also highly money motivated. This person will generally respond well to increased monetary sales incentives.> Salesperson 4 is not highly skilled at selling, but is highly money motivated. This person will generally not respond well to monetary sales incentives,…
That Buying Fog: 4 Ways to Fight It

Skip Anderson

25 Jan 2010 | 5:10 am

Much of the time, consumers are in a fog - a buying fog. The buying fog is fueled by a lack of personal clarity about what they really want or desire, by their dislike or fear of salespeople (whether it be strong or mild), and by their lack of: time, money, clarity, silence, or priorities.But it's difficult to make progress when someone is in a buying fog. The fog blurs common sense. It limits emotional buy-in to what you're selling. Here are 4 ways to clear the buying fog of your prospects this week:1. Be engaging. Have your prospect take notes, or fill out a worksheet while you…
Sorry, We're Going to Go With Your Competitor

Skip Anderson

23 Jan 2010 | 7:05 am

Every salesperson hates to hear those words. But we're told we have to learn how to handle this type of rejection because it's part of sales.And I agree that salespeople must learn to handle rejection. But if the rejection can be avoided, we can avoid having to handle it.Here's a scenario for your consideration:Let's say you sell landscaping design and services. You meet with your prospect and do a needs assessment, measure the property, and schedule a second meeting. A week later, You schedule a second meeting with your prospect for a week later, at which time you plan to…

Get Clients: How to Attract and Win More Professional Service Clients
Are You Nurturing Your Seedlings?

Ian

4 Feb 2010 | 2:47 pm

The analogy between gardening and growing client relationships is an obvious one. Here’s an example of how it can go wrong. The sad looking picture to the left is of my onion seedlings. You may just be able to pick out tiny flecks of green amongst the vermiculite. But there’s not much left. I like gardening. And the two things I grow the most are chile plants (because I love chillies) and onions (which I hate). I grow onions out of a sense of duty, and a bit of obsession. Back in the North East of England where I’m from (and particularly in Ashington), onion growing is a big…
How to Use Linkedin to win new business: poll results

Ian

27 Jan 2010 | 5:24 pm

As you might know, I’ve been asked by Cisco Webex and Linkedin to do occasional blog posts related to the European Business Awards they’re running. One thing I was interested in finding out was how people were using Linkedin to win new business. Many people, myself included (in this article on Linkedin tips for professionals), have written on the topic and given ideas and recommendations based on our own experiences and private research. But I wanted to know how this was playing out in practice. Never mind the theory, how are people actually winning business via Linkedin in the…
How To Get More Referrals: A Get Clients Video Tip

Ian

19 Jan 2010 | 8:15 am

Click here to view the embedded video. Whether you’re a lawyer, an accountant, a consultant or architect: you’ll know that referrals can be your very best source of high value new business. However, it’s rare that I meet a professional who’s satisfied with the quantity and quality of referrals they’re getting. While “just asking for more” can be an effective strategy for those who are new to referrals: most professionals need to be a bit more sophisticated if they want to raise their game. This video tip highlights the importance of understanding what…
Focus, Focus, Focus

Ian

11 Jan 2010 | 6:00 pm

One of the big weak spots in my own business development is focus. I’m a great starter, not a great finisher. As soon as I hear of a new, promising approach I love to check it out, research it, try it out for myself. It makes me a great resource for deep up-to-date knowledge on a broad range of business development topics. But I have to really force myself to follow through and keep going with certain approaches rather than move on to new things once I’ve got good at them. In fact, persistence and focus are under-recognised hallmarks of great rainmakers. Often when I look at the…
Guru12: The Top 12 Gurus of Professional Services

Ian

30 Dec 2009 | 5:31 pm

OK – there’s a huge risk here that I’m going to put quite a few noses out of joint – including a number of people I know personally. But I’m going to give it a go anyway. The following is my personal list of the most influential writers, advisors and consultants to the professions – particularly when it comes to strategy, marketing and business development. I’ve gone for a global list rather than people who have had an influence in specific countries or specific circumstances. And please, please, please – if you expected your name to be on the…

Andy the Sales Coach
Have You Made Your Bucket List for 2010 Yet?

asmiller

15 Jan 2010 | 9:25 am

I shared this with my list a few weeks ago and I got such a favorable response that I decided I should share it with the rest of my readers here at Andy the Sales Coach. I know this is a few weeks late but we are still in the very beginning weeks of 2010. I [...]
Meet the Experts – Interviewed by Dave Kurlan

asmiller

13 Jan 2010 | 12:18 pm

My buddy Tom Schaff and I were recently interviewed by the leading expert in Sales Force Development - Dave Kurlan
Your Biggest Deal Ever.

asmiller

7 Jan 2010 | 11:28 am

Sarah here! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and new year celebration. (I spent mine getting engaged in Puerto Rico!) Now it is time to get back into the swing of things and to make sure our followers are up-to-date with the new plans AMI has for the near future. We are excited to [...]
Getting Back on Track

asmiller

15 Sep 2009 | 11:15 am

Hello! It’s Sarah again I hope this post finds all our readers well. I know Andy has been out of the loop for some time but I just wanted to reassure everyone that he is not gone for good. Andy has been zeroing in on his main full time job of consulting to Business [...]
And We’re Back!

asmiller

16 Apr 2009 | 8:30 am

Hello everyone! Sarah here, Andy’s assistant. I know it has been a long time since Andy’s last post and we apologize for that. However, we are glad to report that it is simply because Andy has been very busy consulting, traveling and speaking all over the country. In our busy time we have managed to [...]

The DEW View!
It’s here. Let the chit-chat begin.

Daniel Waldschmidt

26 Jan 2010 | 5:51 am

DanWaldschmidt.com After 5 months and the delightfully talented help of Kate, Cesar, Genna, and Gretel at Channel V Media, DanWaldschmidt.com is now alive and well. Come check it out. In July it will have been five full years of connecting with you. In that time, hundreds (YES, even thousands) of you have tapped into your own deeper potential. For some, your business grew like gangbusters. For others, you found a calming peace. I am glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of something so amazing. Thanks for your hundreds of comments, emails, calls, and “well…
Clean up your act… (or else)

Daniel Waldschmidt

12 Jan 2010 | 6:38 am

For those of you who ignored my rage against the fad of making New Years resolutions, I say “bravo”… Sure it’s a mindless waste of time to commit to an important goal for just a few months, but you already knew that. All rage aside, I have goals for my life and most of you do too. I have to think you wouldn’t continue to hang out here at The DEW View if you didn’t want more from your life. I tend to be pretty annoying. (By the way, I hope several of you made resolutions just because I told you, you shouldn’t…) So back to goals….
Yep… your New Year resolutions are worthless.

Daniel Waldschmidt

5 Jan 2010 | 6:09 am

It’s that time of year again where we take stock of our poor performance from last year and write down blissful wishes for what we want to make happen this year. It actually a pretty worthless activity… From joining a new gym to going to church more to drinking less — whatever you resolve come New Years has a 78% chance of ultimately failing. That’s almost everybody! I didn’t make that up. That’s what a recent international study of almost a thousand people indicated. Just like we have been trained to do nice things for people around Christmas even…
Who Convinced us to Trade MORE for MERRIER?

Daniel Waldschmidt

29 Dec 2009 | 6:28 am

Parties… You love going to them. What’s even better — you love getting that late minute call to go crash your buddy’s friend’s pad to join in the “uninvited” festivities. You can’t have hosted a party more than once in the past two millenia without a buddy asked you if he could bring some other dudes to the event. It goes down a little like this: YOU: Hey, I am throwing a little party at my place tomorrow night. You wanna swing by? BUDDY: Awesome. I’ll bring some beers. By the way, do you mind if I invite the other guys? YOU:…
Can I just pretend I really, really care about you and send you an e-card for Christmas?

Daniel Waldschmidt

22 Dec 2009 | 6:17 am

This weekend, the missus and I wrapped up our shopping for family for the holidays. I have to say: “We were more thoughtful this year than any time previously…” (at least I thought so) We really thought through the whole process and I am pumped by the stack of “stuff” sitting in our kitchen that needs to be wrapped. It’s about the relationship, right? There are people you care about — people around whom you really want to build a history. It kind of parallels your deal making process. Makes sense, right? You want to do business with people that…

SALES MANAGEMENT 2.0
where i get the response???

SITI HAWA BINTI MAT TIAL

I have been working in this supply PPE company in few months already. But i hardly get the response from my clients. Take for example; There is one client asking me to quote the 'safety signage'. So i did a proper layout for the design and i emailed her on Friday. Hoping that by Monday she would reply to me on the design, so i got time to discuss with the designer together with the price..until now it is Tuesday i have not received any feedback although i email her and call her. What a day??? Second story; i have two clients that asking me about body harness. So i do my best on the…
“I Can’t Get Customers To See Me!”

Dave Brock

When I speak to sales people, this is the second biggest complaint I hear. Sales people have trouble getting meetings. This isn’t just with prospects, but also with customers we know well. Let’s face it, everyone is time-poor. Everyone has more on their plates than they can possibly deal with, and the pile just gets bigger. In the face of customers being time-poor, in order to get a meeting, we have to have a compelling reason for them to invest their precious time in us. This probably bears repeating with emphasis: In order to get a meeting, we have to have a compelling reason for them…
Something Old and Something New

Colleen Stanley

The phrase "something old and something new," which is often heard while brides are getting married, can be applied to using social media tools successfully. Many companies jump on the new idea band wagon, often discarding old ideas and methodologies that still produce results. Let's take a look at two ways you should combine new social media with good 'ole fashioned sales principles. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a great tool for connecting with people, raising profiles on search engines, and free advertising for your firm. The mistake many salespeople make is thinking that just because they connect…
Sales Management—Managing The Contradictions

Dave Brock

A little over a week ago, I wrote Sales Management, It’s About Inspecting The Process, Not Transactions. In talking to many people who contacted me about the article, we ended up talking about the confict sales managers face in doing their jobs. Yes, we are supposed to inspect the process, but at the same time, we need to focus on deals and specifics. Well, that’s life, sales management is about managing the contradictions. The only way we will be successful in managing the organization is to focus on inspecting the process, coaching and developing your people, and managing the overall…
Why Selling Is Better Than Sex - Part One

Alen Majer

The world’s oldest profession involves selling. One might even argue about which came first – the selling or the sex? In fact, selling and sex are so closely related that succeeding at either one of them can be euphoric, addictive, and good fun. Some people might like to argue that selling is not better than sex. They believe it’s the other way round. In this post (and other following this one) I will give you many different reasons why selling IS better than sex. For a start, it’s okay to make a sale in public. In fact, the more people that witness the sale you’re making and the…

The Sales 2.0 Network
5 Steps to create a VITAL Vision for Success

Donal Daly

30 Jan 2010 | 5:21 am

I recall when, back in 1989, I was a few years into the growth of my first software company. Having bootstrapped the business, and eked out survival through the first year or two, things were beginning to take shape. Each…
Sales 2.0 Network now available on iPhone

Donal Daly

26 Jan 2010 | 11:35 pm

On this day, when Apple is due to announce its tablet, I’m delighted to announce that the Sales 2.0 Network is now available an as app for your iPhone, iPod Touch, and – if the rumors are true – it…
Hey Salesreps… This Post’s For You.

Dave Stein

26 Jan 2010 | 8:19 am

After a webinar I did in December with The TAS Group, I got an angry email from someone who attended. He wrote, “Instead of all the negatives how about offering some sales help for those of us that still have a…
Sales Process Design: What would Apple do?

Donal Daly

25 Jan 2010 | 2:29 am

This week, on January 27, Apple is set to reveal its much anticipated tablet device. Already whole industries are in a flurry about what this might mean. As reported in the New York Times, “Because the tablet is said to create…
CEO Perspective: Guest Blog – John Golden, CEO Huthwaite, Inc.

Donal Daly

21 Jan 2010 | 2:41 am

One of the charter members of the Dealmaker Partner Network is Huthwaite Inc. Huthwaite is best known for the famous SPIN Selling program, used by millions of sales people around the globe. But there’s a lot more to Huthwaite than SPIN. Here,…

SymVolli
Do You Like Getting Wet?

3 Feb 2010 | 1:15 am

Do you like getting wet, feeling cold? I expect the answer is NO. So you rely on the weather forecast to help you decide what to wear and whether to take an umbrella. In the main you know that the weather forecast is going to be reliable because a great deal of experience combined with technology is used in getting it as accurately as possible. So why do you accept all the stress that an unpredictable sales forecast brings? Is it because you believe that this is how sales is done and nothing can change it? Do something about it! Get some order and discipline into the way your sales team works…
Don't shoot me I'm only the sales person

28 Oct 2009 | 2:16 am

Following on from Hugh Stafford-Smith’s article about People and Talent, I believe that the sales person is a very visible target and therefore in the absence of other information he is the first person to come under the microscope when things are not going according to the sales plan. I have two issues with this approach: firstly, that the sales person is the one of the most expensive resources within any organisation and to get rid of him should be done with due care and attention;, and secondly the sales person is the key component in the overall activity of how a company goes to market.
Business Intelligence With SymVolli 7.5 - Accessibility To Information

20 Oct 2009 | 7:10 am

In the last newsletter we sent out to our subscribers we alluded to a number of announcements on some of the new elements and features that will be shipping with SymVolli 7.5 which will be released in January 2010. In the first announcement of our newest version of SymVolli we decided to focus on 'Business Intelligence' in line with the new Business Intelligence functionality that SymVolli 7.5 has. I havewritten a short article discussing the issues that companies face in using Business Intelligence and how we deal with BI in SymVolli 7.5. Business Intelligence should be affordable and…
Going4Growth Partners With Nomis Limited and SymVolli

30 Sep 2009 | 2:02 am

As we are tackling the business critical issue of sales performance improvement we need to develop our business partner channel based on people who have the expertise in this field and who are comfortable in dealing with senior management. Graham Whittle is a professional that has the experience both in sales performance improvement and in dealing with senior management. We at Nomis Limited and SymVolli look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with Going4Growth. As a Sales & Marketing Professional, I am always looking for ways in which I can add further value to my clients. said…
Cameron Consulting - Leaders in Management Consultancy in the Public Sector Take the Next Step with SymVolli

28 Sep 2009 | 5:00 am

In a world of change, it may be forgiven for thinking that public sector and large corporate industry giants are organisations that frequently need catching up with the ever moving world that we live in. As agents of creating new and effective organisations, Cameron Consulting are at the forefront of the movement to introduce critical new ways of thinking to make such organisations better, more efficient, more effective and more importantly - more profitable. Cameron Consulting is a management consultancy firm founded in 2003 by Neil Thody primarily helping public sector and construction…

Jonathan Farrington's Blog
Networking & Pyramids

Jonathan Farrington

9 Feb 2010 | 12:37 am

When you start to network more widely, you quickly realize that there is a pyramid, or hierarchy of depth or quality in all of your potential relationships. Pyramid Levels: At the base of the pyramid are what we call ‘suspects’. These are people who seem open to an approach to offer support. (remembering my earlier point about giving and reciprocity). It is usually better to find out more about suspects before approaching them in person. Many are often misidentified and only randomly picked. Only some suspects (when researched more closely) get to the next stage of becoming…
Rapport Is The Foundation Of All Good Communication

Jonathan Farrington

8 Feb 2010 | 12:35 am

The ability to build rapport with customers and prospects is vitally important. Why? Because, if you have rapport with your customers, they are more likely to trust you, listen to you and communicate openly with you. This in turn enables you to interact more comfortably and work more effectively together. Rapport dramatically increases your chances of winning a sale. Having rapport means that when there are tough issues to discuss, for example price increases, you can more easily find agreement and solutions, and move on. Classic research by Robert Birdwhistle looked at how face-to-face…
Can Gen X, Gen Y, and Baby Boomers Co-Exist? – The Debate Rages

Jonathan Farrington

7 Feb 2010 | 1:12 am

Here are the thoughts from one of our panelists, Dr. Greg Stebbins “The people of our generation started to radically change the corporate infrastructure. First mini-computers, then personal computers, then the Internet, email and finally the Web. Gen X and Gen Y have leveraged the technology, but didn’t invent it. So there are some fundamental disconnects when discussing depth of understanding. They know how to do it, but don’t know why it’s done that way. Today, all of that has changed. Gen X and Gen Y were raised totally different from each other. As boomers we were expected to go…
No Budget – Unless Of Course …

Jonathan Farrington

6 Feb 2010 | 1:29 am

The JF Guest Author Spot Linda Richardson Many of the customers we are talking to may be like your customers. Their budgets have either been cut or all but vanished. They also have something else in common: their goal to increase revenue and save money in the short-term. You already know how important it is to justify your value to a customer. But — never before has value justification taken on such a critical role in closing business. It now is the key to finding, unlocking, and creating budgets. And the nature of value justification has changed. We are not only in a…
The Pleasure Of Negotiating

Jonathan Farrington

5 Feb 2010 | 1:31 am

Many of my colleagues and friends do not enjoy negotiating – in fact they absolutely hate it. Me, I love the cut and thrust, and look forward to that stage of the buying cycle. Here are some thoughts. A skilled negotiator will create high levels of rapport and be sensitive and empathetic to the people they are negotiating with, yet can still be hard on the issues. The ability to separate the people from the issues, and recognise that negotiations are often fraught with emotional intensity, can help sharpen the focus on the interests of the other party to better balance perceptions. If…

TeleSmart Communications
Sales Productivity Sounds

Josiane Feigon

8 Feb 2010 | 4:17 pm

There was a time when the success of your inside organization was the loud buzz you could hear from 6am until about 2pm in the afternoon (PST) which validated your team was working hard. You’d walk down the sales aisles and hear that loud hum accented with bells, whistles, balloons and cackling sounds from team members high fiving each other after a successful call. Today most call centers or inside sales organization sound very different. It’s not the phone you hear but keyboards clicking, texting and instant messaging. Call activity is at an all-time low these days, not…
Josiane presents @ NorCal BMA Breakfast on 2/4

Josiane Feigon

2 Feb 2010 | 11:49 am

Today is a day full of predictions- if the groundhog saw his shadow, then we get another 6 weeks of winter. And the results are in….. he did see his shadow. On the sales front, my prediction is that BANT is dead. This is a term is frequently used to in the Lead Generation circles to qualify a lead. The standard qualifying criteria includes asking questions from the following categories: Budget, Authority, Need and Timeframe. Usually once these questions have been asked, the lead is ”qualified” and enters the pipeline. Here’s the deal- I’m all for sales and…
Data Consumption and Digital Distractions

Josiane Feigon

1 Feb 2010 | 12:16 pm

I really thought people were bailing on me and wrote me off until a few came through LinkedIn and asked what the deal was because their emails were being bounced back as undeliverable. I swear- it’s not about you, it’s about me- I take full responsibility and really want to hear from you but my josiane@tele-smart.com email is being very selective and excluding some. When I called my ISP, they told me about 40K emails were sitting on my server and that seemed to be the reason. They asked if I wanted to sort through these emails before they cleared the server and I thought to…
My Monday Social Media Work-out

Josiane Feigon

25 Jan 2010 | 2:58 pm

InsideView recently voted their Top Sales Industry Social Media Users and guess who is among the 20? Moi. As I beat myself up that I haven’t hung out on the TweetDeck or participated in any LinkedIn discussions or even put a blog post together, I remind myself to be true to my word and practice showing up in the social media business circuit. But showing up requires time and commitment. Tomorrow is a big day for me as I will be delivering a Smart Selling with Curiosity session for the CitrixOnline global inside sales teams. Part of my presentation is all about Sales and Social…
Seeking long-term Altruism

Josiane Feigon

19 Jan 2010 | 1:15 pm

One of my New Years resolutions is to commit to giving back to a cause I believe in and plant my altruistic values towards a substantial and long-term cause. The Haiti disaster has kicked this up a notch and brought it to the forefront. Everyone has joined in and as of yesterday, an estimated $150 Million has been donated towards Haiti relief efforts. I realized that my volunteer and commitment efforts in the past have been more reactive, crisis driven and sporatic because of my crazy travel schedule. It has been very rewarding cooking food for the homeless, delivering food to AIDS…

SalesBlogcast
3 Quick Tips From the Super Bowl Champions

Doyle Slayton

7 Feb 2010 | 7:45 pm

Leadership – It begins with head coach Sean Payton. He is a great decision maker and understands how to rally people around a cause. Commitment – When you think of the Saints, you think of a team who is committed to something greater than any one individual. It was never just about winning the Super Bowl. It was about a history of struggle and relentless perseverance... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
8 Follow-Up Strategies to Keep Your Prospect Engaged

Doyle Slayton

3 Feb 2010 | 7:01 pm

How do you follow-up with your prospects after your first conversation or after your first appointment? Sometimes we get so tired of chasing people down that we lose focus and take the lazy approach of “calling to touch base,” or “calling to check-in,” both of which bring little value. Here are 8 follow-up strategies you can use to bring constant value and keep your prospect moving forward through the buying cycle. As you work through each of these, keep asking for the business! [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Does Feedback in Your Organization Flow Both Ways?

Doyle Slayton

31 Jan 2010 | 6:37 pm

Written by John Hersey [Contributing Author] Feedback is vital for learning and improving, as much in business as in life. As one very successful business author once said, “The major difference between the most successful and least successful executives is their level of self-awareness. Successful executives are critical of their own performance. Unsuccessful executives are critical of the performance of others.” [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
3 Steps to Accurate Sales Projections

Doyle Slayton

27 Jan 2010 | 9:04 pm

Sales projections are among the most common challenges for sales people and their managers. Why? What causes these forecasts to be so far off the mark? Here is a list of 3 steps I take to ensure my projections are accurate... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
More People Dreaming of Entrepreneurship?

Doyle Slayton

24 Jan 2010 | 6:18 pm

Reader Q&A: More than ever, I hear people talking about their dreams of entrepreneurship. Is it just me, or is the number of people wanting to run their own business increasing rapidly? If you are noticing the same entrepreneurial trend, what do you think is the cause? [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Sales Dodo
If Price Really Matters

lsalz

24 Jan 2010 | 8:41 am

Price has always been a main reason that keeps sales people from selling. At least, that’s what sales people say. Here is evidence to the contrary. Sales people have always had a laundry list of excuses that keep them from being able to sell today. Yet, is there any excuse more infamous than the price one. “If we just lowered our price, I could sell a ton of this stuff.” Oh really? People primarily buy based on price? Well, if that’s true consider this. If price really matters… Everyone would buy generic drugs No one would have cable or satellite television The seat…
Can’t Sell Today

lsalz

29 Dec 2009 | 2:45 pm

A little chuckle for the holidays… Can’t sell in January. Between the terrible weather and everyone coming back from vacation, how can you expect someone to focus on buying now? I’ll pound the pavement next month. Can’t sell in February. More snow and more vacation. Way to go, Washington and Lincoln; thanks for President’s Day! It’s such a short month. No one can make a decision in such a short month. Next month is going to be better. Can’t sell in March. No one is going to make a decision on this with more holidays around the corner. Good time to shop for summer clothes.
The Business Executive’s Dilemma: Should I Promote My Top Sales Person to Sales Manager?

lsalz

8 Dec 2009 | 2:16 pm

Early Greek mythology tells tales of sailors lured by Sirens. Their sweet music mesmerized the sailors and led them to believe that the illusion was reality. Ultimately, those sailors who blindly followed the tunes crashed their ships on the rocks and their boats sank. Sirens lure business executives and small business owners too. The song that the Sirens sing has one line… “Promote my top sales person, put six people underneath them, and generate six times the sales.” And, like the sailors, many business executives and their companies have been led into harm’s way. A…
The Sales Management Minute Launches!

lsalz

18 Nov 2009 | 2:38 pm

These are 60 second podcasts focused on sales management issues… Below are links to some of the shows. Get Rid of Your Customers Now! Developing the Profile of Your Ideal Sales Person Never Let Your Sales People Cold Call Dealing With A Sales Rep Who Needs Help, But Doesn’t Want It There Are No Great Sales People Enjoy these? Grab the RSS-feed and receive new shows as they are posted. convert this post to pdf.Social Bookmarking:
LinkedIn Is a Waste Of a Sales Person’s Time!

lsalz

6 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

I continue to be amazed at the number of sales people who feel that LinkedIn doesn’t provide any value to them. Yet, these same people spend countless hours on Facebook telling people what they ate for breakfast, are leaving for work, or entering YouTube links. How is that a benefit to your bank account? My feelings about LinkedIn are not theoretical and I’m not a paid advertiser of it. I am a beneficiary of this social media/marketing platform. I’ve personally used LinkedIn to build two businesses with this website as the primary lead source. Just last week, I was speaking…

Sales Loudmouth
The Real Sales Trainers

5 Feb 2010 | 11:43 am

Okay, we could bang on these sellers for not doing everything possible to understand my needs, offer solutions and get a deal done. But, I am more interested in this observation. . .
Dragon Rider

26 Jan 2010 | 7:14 pm

The day was a little warmer and sunnier than March usually offered. My team had advanced to the Elite 8 and I had just closed a sweet deal with the local electronics store. I was pretty pleased with myself. ...
Understanding is About Clarification

14 Jan 2010 | 2:54 pm

I didn't hear Dick coming. Normally, he was whistling or greeting people as he walked through the sales bullpen. But, with my hands holding up my face and my eyes closed, I was oblivious.
Learning to Solve Problems

16 Dec 2009 | 7:18 pm

Dick looked around the room to make sure that his audience was still tuned in. As usual, I was on the edge of my seat.
Sell Like You're Living

30 Nov 2009 | 7:57 pm

I noticed that she was using the yellow icing knife in the green icing and was now unwittingly making a blue gingerbread man. I glanced at the cookies in front of her and saw a Santa with one eye, an elf with what looked like a bloody knife wound in his chest and a black star. When she reached for another color of icing, I grabbed her glass of eggnog and took a swig.

EyesOnSales.com
How to Shorten Your Sales Cycle

editor@eyesonsales.com

8 Feb 2010 | 6:13 am

Several years ago, while scouring the business section of my local newspaper, I came to a screeching halt when I noticed a small headline. It read, "Local Firm Acquires eBusiness." "Very interesting," I thought. The company, an international manufacturer, was not in my targeted market segment -- but this high tech acquisition certainly was. Because my prospecting antennas were twitching, I committed to staying abreast on what was happening at this firm. I sent for their annual report, periodically checked their website and kept up on any press releases.
Sales Lessons Learned from a Recession

editor@eyesonsales.com

5 Feb 2010 | 12:52 pm

The past year was definitely interesting. Some sales professionals prospered while others suffered. I spoke to one person who doubled his income and he works in automotive sales! Yet, another well- established person experienced a decline of more than fifty percent in their sales. There are several key sales lessons that can be learned from selling in a recession. These will help you succeed in the upcoming year.
Can You Explain This to Me? I Thought They Wanted My Business

editor@eyesonsales.com

2 Feb 2010 | 7:10 am

I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the level of customer service that surrounds me today. You would think that in a down economy companies would be doing everything they can to win the loyalty of their customers… think again.
3 Powerful Excuses for Maintaining Mediocrity in Your Sales Hiring

editor@eyesonsales.com

2 Feb 2010 | 6:21 am

I participated in a Webinar where I presented my ideas for how not to screw up your 2010 sales hiring. Most of the attendees had participated in a survey where they said that getting hiring right was extremely important, but only 8% felt they had the skills to do this effectively. When I answered questions from the audience, the best one, in my opinion, was the most obvious. It went something like this.
Sales Advice: Mistakes, Tips on Using Names

editor@eyesonsales.com

1 Feb 2010 | 1:35 pm

You may encounter a prospect with an unusual name. Don't use this as a stumbling block when calling on them. Instead, use these tips to make the best out of the call, and focus on selling instead of the prospect’s name.

As Was Marketing Hall Of Fame
Connecting With Us on Twitter and Facebook

As Was

3 Feb 2010 | 8:57 am

We're changing how you can connect with us. Here's what you need to know!http://twitter.com/aswas will be mostly business-related tweets with a few personal or observational tweetshttp://twitter.com/rocketplace remain as mostly eBay and eCommerce newshttp://twitter.com/dlev will be mostly the personal world of As Was CEO Debbie Levitt. If you're tickled by her observations, thoughts, and personal musings, please follow that Twitter.Our Facebook Fan page will start to get more use. I hadn't really done much with it since 2008, but I'll start using it more.My personal…
eHarmony Got One Right

As Was

26 Jan 2010 | 9:26 am

Well, I never thought I'd say this, but eHarmony seems to have gotten one right. If you read my blog, you know they got a lot wrong... and continue to. Looking at 9 new matches this morning, most sucked. Why? It's what they write in their profiles, which is not eHarmony's fault. It's about how you market yourself. I do not want to get to know the guy who says he's most passionate about UFC and mastiffs, nor do I want to meet the guy who filled out the profile with "I'll write more later."eHarmony matched me with a guy I'm calling Mr DJ. In the world of my…
When A Celebrity Commits a Crime

As Was

11 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

A celebrity I used to be a fan of committed at least two crimes that recently hit the papers. One crime was stalking teenage girls in real life (he's 56 years old) as well as on Facebook. The other crime was breaching an order of protection (restraining order) his ex-wife had against him. He's on a roll!I run the official discussion forum where fans discuss this guy. Nearly everybody who is writing in is outraged by his behaviour. Some of the more diehard fans seem to think either that these crimes never happened, he was set up, etc... That's a very tiny minority.And I have a…
Posting to Other People's Facebook Business Pages

As Was

8 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

Yesterday, we blogged about an OOPS where an online seller I know found some Facebook pages that looked devoted to what he sells. So he joined them, and when he was holding a sale, he promoted that. He figured hey, the people who are "fans" here tend to like what I sell, they'll want to know about my website.Seems like a good marketing idea.Except that the Facebook pages he was on were owned by a jeweller who had created them to promote HER website. So the pages look like they're for people who like cufflinks, but they're really there to be a subtle vehicle to push her…
Is Facebook Showing My Competitor's Ads On My Pages?

As Was

7 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

Earlier this week, I mentioned someone who spammed me on Facebook. She saw I was a fan of a Facebook business page for a company that does cufflinks. She evidently sells some cufflinks, so she spammed me by sending me a Facebook message. This story has a weird ending, so make sure you read through the Epilogue, where I reveal the surprise ending! :)In her spam message, she told me that the company I was a fan of was actually very interested in her cufflinks, so I should check out her website. She linked me to her website. At the time, I wrote her back that she was spamming me, and that was…

Sales Training - SalesPractice.com
How does your commision scheme work and am I getting a short straw?

mikeuk21

8 Feb 2010 | 1:27 pm

Hi Guys, Just a question for you all how does your commision/ote scheme work? The reason i am interested in this is because I will be having my 6 month appraisal coming up soon and I think that my commision scheme isn't up to scratch and I want to discuss it with my director. I have to hit quite a hard target before I then get 10% of each sale over that and from what I have heard from a couple
Impression Management - Perception Management

Community Mailbox

7 Feb 2010 | 8:52 am

What are your thoughts on the following quote: Quote: The "talk" world of the corporate environment favours those who are adept at impression and perception management. Do you agree/disagree? Does this apply in all sales arenas?
Creative Salesmanship

Community Mailbox

6 Feb 2010 | 8:15 am

How would you describe "Creative Salesmanship"?
New Member - Rick Brahm

afcircuit

6 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am

Hello Everyone, My name is Rick Brahm (Richard D. Brahm) and I go by InternetCEO most of the time. Anyways I am happy to be a part of this Training site, I have not seen any of its equel or even in its class for that matter. I have 4 strong years as an Internet Affiliate CEO and 20 Years of prior MLM experiences in various programs. However my strong skill-set is in programming and this also make
Master Salesmanship

Community Mailbox

5 Feb 2010 | 7:29 pm

Someone once said, "Master salesmanship consists of a series of picture impressions imprinted on the mind of a prospective buyer thru the five senses." In your opinion what does master salesmanship consist of?

The Accidental Negotiator
Long-Term Relationships: Who Benefits And What You Can Do About It

Dr. Jim Anderson

4 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm

Image Credit Sure long-term relationships are pretty, but are they a good idea? Is A Long-Term Relationship The Right Thing For You? Man, what a hassle negotiating is. If you have to negotiate every single vendor relationship each time you need to have something done, it sure seems like you’re going to end up spending your time negotiating and won’t have any time left over to do everything else. There has got to be a better way! Maybe the right thing to do is to pick a vendor and enter into a long-term relationship with them. That could be the answer that you’ve been looking for: do the…
5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of A Negotiation Team

Dr. Jim Anderson

28 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pm

Image Credit It’s Super To Have A Negotiating Team – If You Know How To Use Them The Challenge Of Managing A Team Of Negotiators Today’s sales negotiation sessions have become so complex that it’s almost too much for a single negotiator to handle. That’s one reason that more and more sales negotiators are being handled by teams of trained negotiators. This simplifies a lot of the record keeping and tactical details of a negotiation; however, it introduces a new layer of complexity – how to manage the negotiating team… 5 Ways To Manage A Team Of Negotiators As though a sales…
To Team Or Not To Team, That Is The Question

Dr. Jim Anderson

21 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pm

Image Credit It’s Easier To Make It To The Finish Line When You Have A Team Don’t you just love movies? Whenever there is a negotiation going on in a movie, be it with hostage takers or closing a big business deal, there is always the picture of the noble solitary sales negotiator doing his / her best to close the deal against almost impossible odds. Can you tell me what is wrong with this picture? Say Hello To Negotiating: The New Team Sport The arrival of the 21st Century has brought with it a great deal of complexity. This is especially seen when it comes to sales negotiations. It…
5 Keys To Sales Negotiation Success

Dr. Jim Anderson

14 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pm

Image Credit You Can Never Have Too Many Sales Negotiating Keys How can you become a better sales negotiator? For such a simple question, there seems to be no corresponding simple answer. I guess that we all know that the best sales negotiators seem to always know what to do and when to do it. Now if there was only some way that we could pick up those same skills! I believe that the right way to reach this level of sales negotiating skill is to develop the same set of skills that the really good negotiators have. I’ve got five of them for you to learn right here… Things That You…
5 Sales Negotiating Skills For You Should Be Working On Right Now!

Dr. Jim Anderson

7 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pm

Image Credit Stamina Is Only One Of The Skills That Every Sales Negotiator Needs Is it ever too early to talk about planning on what negotiating skills you should working on next? Hopefully not because that’s what I’d like to have chat with you about. In order to be a world-class sales negotiator, you have to master literally 100’s of different skills from learning how to mange your negotiating power, how to prepare for a negotiation, etc. On top of all that, there are five areas that most sales negotiators overlook and yet, they may be the most important negotiating skills…

SalesMarks.com» Sales Tips & Motivational Sales Articles, Motivational Sales Quotes and Free Sales Resources
Free Webinar on 02/09/2010 – The 6 Worst Presentation Habits

hq@salesteamtools.com

29 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

Whether you are speaking to an audience of 1 or 1,000, it's critical that you engage your listeners. As the presentation coach for some of today's fastest growing companies, Tim Wackel knows exactly what it takes to deliver messages that get results. On Febuary 9, Tim Wackel will reveal the 6 worst presentation habits that put barriers between you and your listener. You'll also learn unique and proven methods for conquering these habits so that you can become a more polished, professional and inspiring presenter. Follow the link for more information and to register.
The Power of Success Habits

hq@salesteamtools.com

8 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

The most successful people in life may very well have traits, skills or knowledge in particular areas that their peers lack. But most importantly these individuals are able to consistently do the things necessary to be successful.
Habits of Top Sellers – Using E-Mail to Advance the Sales Process

hq@salesteamtools.com

7 Jan 2010 | 8:05 am

Before and after every phone call or in-person meeting during the sales process, informative e-mails can help you clarify and advance the discussion. Ralph Allora explains how to use well-written e-mail messages to help your sales process along.
Great Sales Habits – Schedule Time For Busy Work

hq@salesteamtools.com

6 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

Like many salespeople and small business owners, I find staying focused during prime selling hours to be difficult. Interruptions, minor emergencies, emails, phone calls, and a myriad of other issues and concerns are constantly trying to draw my attention away from my primary business activity—selling.
Sales Management Webinar on 02/19/2010

hq@salesteamtools.com

5 Jan 2010 | 1:52 pm

In the reality of business today, most sales organizations are experiencing longer sales cycles, decreasing pipeline close rates and smaller deals. This webinar, organized by the EcSELL Institute will help you understand how to change this paradigm. Registration and more information the EcSELL site.

Inside Sales Telesales Tips Blog
When you become too old to work in Inside Sales… or is it just ageism?

Geoff Alexander

8 Feb 2010 | 2:01 am

One of the inherent beauties of selling or qualifying over the phone is that since no one can see us, hiring practices have been egalitarian, for the most part. In my telesales training courses diverse workforces have been the norm, and the resulting cross-pollination of ideas and experiences has resulted in smarter workforces. But in the past six months, I've been made aware of several outstanding inside sales candidates that were told they weren't hired because they "didn't fit in." And that was the sole reason given that they weren't hired. It had nothing to do with lack of professionalism…
Use KPIs during your telesales job interview to put yourself above competitive candidates.

Geoff Alexander

1 Feb 2010 | 2:01 am

We don't just create and deliver world-class telesales training courses here. We also help great telesales reps who've excelled in our classes and at work to find jobs. We know reps that have never been under quota that were laid off this year. The other day, veteran inside sales executive Alicia Assefa interviewed a candidate we sent her, and she gave the candidate some outstanding advice on how to make a presentation in the interview that would be compelling to any sales executive. It's all about describing how you use KPI (key performance indicators) to increase your numbers and…
7 Ways to make an Underperforming Territory profitable, fast

Geoff Alexander

25 Jan 2010 | 2:01 am

It's fairly common for superior sales performers to be rewarded by being transferred to an underperforming territory. Rarely is the sales rep happy about it, and it's probably happened to a large percentage of you reading this. If it hasn't happened to you yet, get ready, for it may. In my telesales training courses, I always tell people that our world is a lot about constant change, and how well we handle it. Today's post is about how a really great rep got a lemon and made lemonade out of it. I worked with Gordon at a software development tools company, and saw him take control of what had…
How to turn the executive interview from Hell into your advantage

Geoff Alexander

18 Jan 2010 | 2:01 am

Today's post is for sales executives and managers and those who wish to become them. A sales executive I know just went through one of the worst interviewing experiences of his life, and asked what he could have done to change the outcome. In today's hiring market, every one of you reading this post could run into the same thing. My solution touches on a closing technique I use in my telesales training courses, too. So let me tell you the story, and what you can do to turn a similar situation that you might face into your advantage. Robert interviewed for a sales exec position at a…
Don’t miss low-hanging fruit… Prioritize calling the best leads that money can’t buy NOW, before your competition does

Geoff Alexander

11 Jan 2010 | 5:01 am

At this time of year, salespeople are typically focused on two things: closing prospects that are already in the pipeline, and managing new leads that are coming in through trade shows, downloads, you-name-it. But you've already got a better lead source than those new leads, and they're sitting in your CRM sales database. Let me explain, because if you ignore what's in your CRM, you're missing some hidden but active sales opportunities, and working hard, not smart. Two weeks ago, I made a printout of every month of activity on last year's calendar, including all calls to my telesales training…

Construction Sales Blog
The Competitive Advantage Newsletter: Construction Expectations for 2010

15 Jan 2010 | 11:47 am

From this month's Competitive Advantage newsletter: Construction Expectations for 2010 The latest forecast from the CPA shows that expectations have changed since they published their last forecast in October 2009. Then they were expecting a fall in construction output in 2009 of 15%, this has now been revised to a 12% fall. However they now expect construction output to fall 3% in 2010 which is worse than they expected last October. On the positive side, housing output in 2010 is expected to rise by 15% and there is an expectation of consistent growth in infrastructure. The Chartered…
The Competitive Advantage Newsletter: Construction Recession Over?

16 Dec 2009 | 11:36 am

From this month's Competitive Advantage newsletter: No doubt you read the news that the Office of National Statistics have published quarter 3 construction output statistics showing a 2% increase on the previous quarter indicating that the construction recession ended last June. Receiving less publicity was a release 6 days later stating that new orders in quarter 3 fell by 5%. This, no doubt, reflects what most people reading this will have experienced. However there is hope for 2010, especially if you make heating boilers. Another area of opportunity is infrastructure with a forecast…
The Competitive Advantage Newsletter: Keep Yourself Informed

16 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm

From this month's Competitive Advantage newsletter: I will be delivering an afternoon seminar Marketing Building Products into a Sustainable Market on 24th November at the Building Centre in London. It's good value at only £95 and reviews the drivers for sustainability, the key decision makers and proposes a strategy to maximise the benefit from this opportunity, suggesting ways that you can add value and position your company to get maximum benefit. Don't forget the CIMCIG Construction Marketing Conference - Strategy 2010 being held at the Building Centre on 2nd December. This key…
The Competitive Advantage Newsletter: Help Communicating with Specifiers

19 Oct 2009 | 11:04 am

From this month's Competitive Advantage newsletter: Please talk to me Mr Specifier In the last few weeks I've spoken at a couple of events focused on marketing to specifiers and it has reinforced how very hard it is to communicate with this important group of customers. At "Marketing to Architects" we heard two architects and a sustainability consultant tell us just how busy they were and explain that when selecting products they tend to use what's worked before. They also said that in D&B the Contractor's role is increasing, with the Architect becoming more of a collaborator.
The Competitive Advantage Newsletter: Grasping the Opportunity

16 Sep 2009 | 10:37 am

From this month's Competitive Advantage newsletter: Some signs of hope have come through during the month, with a report that the commercial real estate market has bottomed out and the CIPS survey stating the rate of decline is slowing. There have also been further releases of funding into the public residential sector (see below). To help you get a fix on where the market is, the government has published its latest edition of construction statistics, covering 2008. Finally I have listed some development events to help ensure your teams marketing and sales skill are sharpened. In This Issue…

Sales Training Blog
The Scott Brown Senate win: if you make the calls you make the sale

Josh Gordon

21 Jan 2010 | 2:37 pm

Tip O'Neil, the legendary Democratic House of Representatives Majority leader from Massachusetts once said, "All politics are local." I have a slight modification of that, "All politics is local selling." This includes selling ideas, selling legislation, and especially selling candidates. The recent upset victory that Massachusetts Republican State Senator Scott Brown pulled off over Democratic Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley proves my point. In a special election held to replace the late Edward Kennedy''s National Senate seat, the two candidates were given about a…
Are “consultative style” presentations killing your business?

Josh Gordon

4 Jan 2010 | 9:56 am

About 15 years ago I interviewed Mack Hanan, who wrote the book, Consultative Selling, and pioneered the sales movement by the same name. At the time, Hanan was disturbed by sales organizations who borrowed the style and semantics of consultative selling while not investing in the content needed to provide a true consultative selling service. He was particularly upset with media sales organizations, most of which he felt, had embraced consultative selling in name only. Today, that same activity that upset Hanan is alive and well. How many sales presentations begin by appearing to take the…
Three free sales training sessions on selling thorugh the recession

Josh Gordon

19 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

Robin Carey, CEO of Social Media Today, introduces the three 30 minute training sessions. Each session is anchored by a content expert: Jill Konrath talks customer loyalty, Richard Nacht on social media in sales, and I talk about selling through the recession. The program was produced by The Customer Collective, a social media community managed by Social Media Today. The program was sponsored by Oracle Corporation. Here Robin Carey introduces just my session: All the sessions are FREE with registration. Register HERE
Start your next sales presentation with a story not a joke

Josh Gordon

23 Jul 2009 | 3:28 pm

For those of us making persuasivepresentations, there is nothing funny about the cliché that says you should start every presentation with a joke. Stories, both funny and serious, are the way to begin a persuasive presentation because they engage an audience and invite an empathetic response. When you tell a story about the most embarrassing moment in your life, audience members either start thinking about a similar event in their lives or imagine being put into your story’s situation. I'm not telling you to avoid jokes, humor is one of the most powerful persuasive tools a presenter…
A dating game presentation w/Steve Jobs and Bill Gates!

Josh Gordon

19 Jul 2009 | 12:09 pm

Now that Steve Jobs is back at Apple I look forward to seeing the master presenter back in action. Looking back, it's fun to see Jobs using a tried and true presentation approach many salespeople use when their content is not enough to hold an audiences attention of pouring your content into the format of a popular TV game show. These days Jeopardy! is a favorite. Here is a great video clip from 1983 where we see a young Jobs as the host of "The Dating Game" with a young Bill Gates as a contestant!

The LEADSExplorer Blog: Lead generation - Website visitors - CRM - B2B
Content marketing: search engines vs social networks difference

The Leads Explorer

8 Feb 2010 | 10:26 am

Search You use search engines and go to the information. Social The information is presented to you by your network. Search Since many years we use search engines to find information on the Internet. This gives you the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The Starters’ Guide to Social Media Marketing

The Leads Explorer

6 Feb 2010 | 1:32 pm

The presence on the Internet presents a challenge for all: from large corporations over companies to sole-traders. During different discussions with professionals who are helping us with our business, the subject of... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The hyped or not – the market decides in the end

The Leads Explorer

4 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am

Successful without any hype: the netbook Late 2007 Asus introduced the first netbook to the market without any hype under the motto: “Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play” or EEE pc. It received little interest... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Is paranormal activity required to bound marketing and sales?

The Leads Explorer

2 Feb 2010 | 10:29 am

We all have heard and know about the gap between marketing and sales. Marketing has good intentions by creating awareness and generate leads, whereas sales is blamed not to follow-up on the leads provided. There is... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Selling common products to a dull market isn’t sexy but challenging

The Leads Explorer

31 Jan 2010 | 8:51 am

Some markets are considered as sexy: information technology, mobile systems, aviation, fashion, … and even cars. However most businesses and markets seem to be dull with dull products: not at all sexy at all as... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Sales Edge
Gaining leverage from your loyalty database

4 Feb 2010 | 6:11 am

Tags: Advertiser Workshops | Elm Street Economics | Value-Added
If you’re Toyota (or one of their competitors), NOW what do you do?

28 Jan 2010 | 8:55 am

Tags: Automotive | Industry Trends | News You Can Use
Have You Invested in Innovation Lately?

25 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am

Tags: Brainstorming | Marketing Strategy Model | News You Can Use
Aligning strategy and tactics… and changing the course of a company

20 Jan 2010 | 8:12 am

Tags: Marketing Mind | Marketing Solutions | Marketing Strategy Model
Focus on Quality Calls in 2010

15 Jan 2010 | 12:22 pm

Tags: Management | News You Can Use | Prospecting

Shameless Sales Tips from Shamus Brown
Change It Up & Energize Your Sales

Shameless Shamus Brown

1 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

Here's my Sales Thought for the Week… Change It Up & Energize Your Sales Repetition has its benefits. But sometimes doing the same things over and over again makes you stale, and you stop growing. Maybe it's time to change things up. Break out of your routine and do something new, something different. This will sharpen you mind and energize you. Sell with Pride, Shameless Shamus Brown P.S. Energize yourself and change up the way you sell right now with the Persuasive Selling Skills Audio Program.
Why Rookies Get Sales Objections (and Old Pro's Don't)

Shameless Shamus Brown

22 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

Some people think that selling is all about overcoming the objections. "Assume the sale, handle the objections, and you'll close the deal" is how their advice goes… Yet if you ask the old experienced sales guy in any business, you'll find he doesn't deal with objections. He doesn't "trial close" repeatedly to flush out and handle the objections one-by-one. And he doesn't pitch without first talking with customers extensively about what they want, why, and what they don't want. No. Objections are for rookies. Objections are what you get…
How Much Does Price Matter?

Shameless Shamus Brown

16 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

You may have noticed that prices are falling for many things. The price of houses certainly has fallen to point out one giant obvious thing. Yet simultaneously people are worried about future inflation. Inflation of prices, prices going up in the future due to all of the money being created out of thin air by our gummint's massive borrowing binge. So how much does price matter? Are you having to drop prices because your customers are less willing to pay the prices you've been charging? Or are you raising prices just to keep up with the increased costs of your own business expenses…
How to Find the Best Sales Prospects in Today's Economy

Shameless Shamus Brown

15 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

Many people today are whining. Whining and wishing. Whining about how much worse their business is this year. Wishing for the "good ole days" of just a couple of years ago, when business was booming, and sales were easy. Some people are celebrating though. Celebrating their success. Their success, now, in business, in sales, in today's economy. These are people who take charge of their sales and their success. One such guy is Adam Ford, a Sales Rep with Roll-A-Cover International. Adam sent me an email the other day to tell me how well he is doing in today's economy……
Sun Tzu Had This to Say About Your Sales Competition

Shameless Shamus Brown

15 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

Sun Tzu said in The Art of War… Know your enemy and know yourself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Knowing yourself, knowing your company, knowing your products is not enough. You must know when your competitors will fight you and how they will fight you. Knowing your enemy is as important as knowing yourself. If you don't know your competition, their strategies and their sales tactics, then put an action plan in place today to get to know them. Fail to do this, and you will lose many more deals than you will ever win. Sell with Pride, Shameless Shamus Brown P.S. Most sales…

Good Selling
Set Any Good Goals Lately?

Craig Murden

15 Jan 2010 | 6:46 pm

Well have you? Goals are much more powerful than I ever imagined. I’ve always had them, strived towards them and achieve many of them. I have never though started a year with a concrete, defined and detailed set of them. Nor have I plotted out what I was going to do to reach them — [...]
Self-Discipline = Motivation = Success

Craig Murden

22 Nov 2009 | 6:45 am

By David H. Sandler, Sandler Training Self-discipline is simply self-direction toward a particular goal. And the fact is, self-discipline directed toward a goal we are genuinely motivated to achieve is not especially difficult to achieve, if we recognize in advance that struggle is necessary for any worthwhile goal. Where motivation is genuine but self-discipline nevertheless seems [...]
Cold Calls Can be Fun

Craig Murden

7 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pm

Yes, cold calls can be fun especially when it is your only way to start your business or your new role. The key I have found is to practice and get comfortable and then practice some more. This past week I reached a comfort level with my cold calls and actually enjoyed them! On to the [...]
How to Lower Stress in Sales

Craig Murden

7 Nov 2009 | 1:29 pm

By Dave Mattson, Sandler Training The rotten economy, if you haven’t noticed, may be taking a toll on your health. “Today’s economy is stressing people out, and stress has been linked to a number of illnesses—such as heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk for cancer,” according to a new study in the July 15 issue of the [...]
Reel in Your Leads

Craig Murden

1 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am

Your current leads are either highly attracted to your product lure or have already biten into it and are hooked. It’s up to you to reel them in now. What many sales pros don’t realize is that it may take up to 12 winds of your messaging apparatus to bring them to the boat. While [...]

Sales Training Tips and Advice
Sales Advice: Just Follow Up! By Keith Rosen

9 Feb 2010 | 5:43 am

My wife and I were about to undertake our last remodeling project. Being a consummate consumer, I wanted several qualified companies to bid on our next project. After calling ten contractors, I scheduled an appointment with the five that called back.Following our meetings, one gave me a price on the spot and two never responded with an estimate. Two contractors mailed an estimate, and one of them followed up a week later.Guess who got the job. Just by making a five-minute phone call! What fascinated me most was that only one contractor called back to discuss his proposal and ask for my…
The Art Of How Not To Get To Any Decision Maker By Dan Adams

5 Feb 2010 | 5:13 am

If you consider yourself a professional sales representative or executive you have undoubtedly worked very hard to overcome the stigma sales professionals have faced over the years. For this reason I was very disappointed to read a newsletter written by a major international sales training firm entitled: "The Art Of How To Get To Any Decision Maker". I thought I would write about it this month in a newsletter that I will call: "The Art Of How Not To Get To Any Decision Maker". The author, president of a major international sales training company, offered claims and advice to get past any…
No Voicemail Equals A Missed Opportunity By Kendra Lee

2 Feb 2010 | 8:09 am

Leave a voicemail? Don’t leave a voicemail? This is a question that sellers are passionate about. Many suggest not, but isn’t that a missed opportunity? I always leave a message because how else will they know that you want to speak with them? In today’s world where it’s acceptable to screen calls, you may never reach your prospect if you don’t. Add to it that a message allows a prospect to hear your interest in talking with them and your professionalism. So why not do it? Take advantage of the 40 seconds or so to grab attention, leave a positive impression, and start relationship…
How To Deal With Red Flags By Mike Brooks

27 Jan 2010 | 5:58 am

One of the biggest mistakes 80% of salespeople make when qualifying is to overlook or not react to obvious Red Flags prospects give during the initial call.In their haste or desperation to “generate a lead" or to “fill their pipeline," most sales reps hope that the possible objection they just heard will miraculously go away once the prospect sees their information or product or service, etc.But you all know from experience -- it never does. In fact, the law for calling back leads is that:“Leads Never Get Better."What appears to be an objection or deal killer always is.Someone wrote me…
Who Really Achieves Success in Sales? By Mark Hunter

21 Jan 2010 | 6:54 pm

Success in sales does not go to the one who has the lowest price. Nor does success in sales go to the one who has the best customers. And, success in sales does not go the one who has the most intelligence. Who really achieves success in sales? The people who practice integrity with every person with whom they come in contact. There is no substitute – no alternative – to consistent integrity. Eleven years ago, I left my corporate career working in sales management for a Fortune 100 company. I began traveling the globe, working with salespeople across more industries than I can even begin…

Score More Sales
Innovate to Grow Your Business

Lori Richardson

1 Feb 2010 | 7:28 am

Need a dose of inspiration and ideas? Two great articles for you to review on ways you can stop being a government statistic and take your revenues through the roof! Innovate! Shift what you are doing – take the pulse of the market. People ARE spending money when they understand and perceive value. Don’t believe me – how about seeing what these experts say? John Jantsch wrote 5 Ways to Grow Your Local Business with Social Media. John is known as one of the top small business marketing experts, bar none. He is the founder of Duct Tape Marketing and I hope to meet him this…
Jill Konrath’s Sales Predictions for 2010

Lori Richardson

29 Jan 2010 | 6:08 am

Call me a little “slow” – but I just saw this post of sales guru Jill Konrath’s from December. I find it extremely valuable – including many of the comments, so would like to share it for those who, like me, have not seen it (I’m hoping I’m not the only one) You comments are welcome – and I’d like to know what you think the trends for sales professionals are turning out to be for this year. I would like to add that I’m seeing more sellers re-tooling with improved webinars and tele-seminars as travel is more difficult and more costly;…
The Challenge of Live Events….

Lori Richardson

28 Jan 2010 | 9:26 pm

1. Finding a nice venue that can hold enough folks for networking and presenting 2. Gaining the support of the local small business owners – through Twitter, Facebook, and local business organizations, including Biznik – so that we can fill the room and get more people connected. 3. Coordinating schedules to show up when people actually want you there. I know it is easier to hunker down and build my tele-conferencing skills, improve my Skype presence, and let the world come to me – but I’m going out to where the small business owners and entrepreneurs are. I hope you…
Become a Sales SuperStar – TSE Masterclass

Lori Richardson

27 Jan 2010 | 12:29 pm

So January is nearly over – NOW is the time to focus on the one plan that will help you grow revenues. Are you working it? If not, I urge you to come to the Top Sales Experts Masterclass simply called, How To Become A Sales Superstar in 2010. I don’t recommend lots of experts, but I DO recommend internationally-acclaimed Jonathan Farrington (He is, after all, “The Captain”) . Three lucky readers can attend this at NO COST by sending me a note through this website or an email to lori (at) scoremoresales (dot) com, or via Twitter: @scoremoresales
Feb. Small Business Workshop in Manchester, NH

Lori Richardson

21 Jan 2010 | 1:38 pm

Know anyone in New Hampshire? If they have a small business, or work in sales, they won’t want to miss this no-cost, small biz event on Monday, February 8th from 1PM-3PM at the Highlander Inn – for several reasons. My special guest, online video expert Lou Bortone, and I will be talking about three things: 1. 10 innovative ideas to grow your sales now 2. Adding in video to your business for visibility 3. Social media success stories for small business owners Here are the details: Sign up here. This event is for small business owners who want to grow revenues. We are not there…

The Sales Blog | S. Anthony Iannarino
Differentiate: The Ability to Stand Out In a Crowd

S. Anthony Iannarino

8 Feb 2010 | 6:55 pm

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The second sales-related attribute is the ability to differentiate. The ability to differentiate follows closing because you need to be able to obtain commitments in order to have the opportunity to differentiate. Really, these two attributes enable each other, as often your ability to differentiate yourself and your company is what allows you to obtain the commitment. What is Differentiation? To differentiate is to stand out in a crowd. It is to be different in way that…
Closing: The Ability to Ask For and Obtain Commitments

S. Anthony Iannarino

7 Feb 2010 | 6:38 pm

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The attributes a successful salesperson must possess and develop are built upon the foundational success attributes covered in the last ten posts. These foundational attributes include self-discipline, optimism, competitiveness, initiative, resourcefulness, determination, caring, empathy and emotional intelligence, communication, and influence. Success in sales depends first on developing these attributes. The next ten posts will cover the sales-related attributes and…
Influence: The Ability to Persuade Others

S. Anthony Iannarino

6 Feb 2010 | 11:13 am

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The tenth foundational attribute for salespeople is Influence. What Is Influence? Influence is the ability to persuade others to act differently, to behave differently, or to believe something. The influence and ability to persuade I am writing about here is not about the tactics that enable influence. It’s not about Cialdini’s six principles of influence: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. It also has nothing to do…
What I Am Afraid Of

S. Anthony Iannarino

4 Feb 2010 | 7:53 pm

I am afraid that you underestimate your competition. I am afraid that you will not go the extra mile. I am afraid that you aren’t leaving it all on the playing field. I am afraid that you could have done a little bit more and that it would have been the difference between winning and losing. I am afraid you are just going through the motions. I am afraid you are going to hit the snooze button. I am afraid you are not sweating the small stuff. I am afraid you are watching television while your competitor is reading a book on sales. I am afraid that you have forgotten how many people are…
Communication: The Ability to Listen and to Explain Ideas

S. Anthony Iannarino

4 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The eighth essential attribute for salespeople is Communication. Communication follows the first attribute, self-discipline. Self-discipline precedes communication because it is what is required to truly listen. Communication follows the second attribute, optimism. Optimism ensures that your listening is a positive experience for others, and allows you to assume other people’s intentions are good, despite their choice of words or their tone of voice. Communication follows…

Drew Stevens Consulting
Can Social Networking Increase Patient Volume

drew@drewstevensconsulting.com (Drew J Stevens Ph.D.)

2 Feb 2010 | 2:43 pm

In the last several years the proliferation of social networking has increased ten fold. Millions of individuals are flocking to social networking sites to connect with friends, Romans and countryman. Herein lies the rub. While social networking provides an array of opportunities to connect with alliances and friends of yesteryear it is not the best business development tool. Sales and Marketing are resources required by physicians to help manifest brand and increase visibility. In many instances physicians attend years of education for the clinical side of the business but develop little…
Monday Momentum with Dr. Drew

drew@drewstevensconsulting.com (Drew J Stevens Ph.D.)

1 Feb 2010 | 6:10 am

The other morning I stepped out onto the driveway to retrieve my morning paper when I saw a noticed attached to my front door. A local realtor had placed collateral materials on my door in the hope of gaining my business. The problem- no value, no trust and no relationship. Too many of you today are conducting the same rote methods of yesteryear and gaining no traction. Today’s competitive landscape requires three things for sellers: 1) A relationship 2) An expression of value 3) The requirement of YOU taking command of the action steps Prospective clients are too busy and there…
Sales Fitness Friday with Dr. Drew – Customer Service

drew@drewstevensconsulting.com (Drew J Stevens Ph.D.)

29 Jan 2010 | 3:46 pm

One of the biggest impediments to selling is abysmal customer service. Over 50% of every client interaction involves servicing the customer well. I am aghast how poor some selling representatives are. I was recently asked to call the Division Manager of a recognizable national insurance chain to deliver a keynote. I have called three times from the referral mentioning the initiating person and yet no return calls. While I understand busyness I do comprehend tomfoolery. Not returning calls, monitoring caller id, not sending thank you cards and confirming appointments are all methods that…
Tuesday Sales Tuneup with Dr. Drew

drew@drewstevensconsulting.com (Drew J Stevens Ph.D.)

26 Jan 2010 | 9:05 am

During a recent workshop a student asked to name the three or four vital aspects of selling. After thinking about this for quite some time I realized that there truly is one important aspect of selling-believe in yourself. If you do not believe in what you are selling and you do not believe that you have the confidence to sell then you will not be able to sell anything to anyone. Selling requires the utmost and confidence as well as passion and conviction. Without these tools you will not be able to move the buyer to take action because they will not believe you. Customers today have many…
Monday Momentum with Dr. Drew

drew@drewstevensconsulting.com (Drew J Stevens Ph.D.)

26 Jan 2010 | 8:57 am

We are so bombarded by technology and clutter it is difficult to remain attentive to little things. There is simply not enough attention paid to the little things. It is interesting to find how many people are so into themselves and so on interested in the world around them. Self-centered mannerisms meet terminate people need to be more responsive to the world around them. Cell phones, text messaging and e-mail or all hindrances to making us pay attention to the world around us. Selling is not a myopic nor self-centered profession individuals need to pay attention to the customer before they…

The Sales Blog
Differentiate: The Ability to Stand Out In a Crowd

S. Anthony Iannarino

8 Feb 2010 | 6:55 pm

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The second sales-related attribute is the ability to differentiate. The ability to differentiate follows closing because you need to be able to obtain commitments in order to have the opportunity to differentiate. Really, these two attributes enable each other, as often your ability to differentiate yourself and your company is what allows you to obtain the commitment. What is Differentiation? To differentiate is to stand out in a crowd. It is to be different in way that…
Closing: The Ability to Ask For and Obtain Commitments

S. Anthony Iannarino

7 Feb 2010 | 6:38 pm

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The attributes a successful salesperson must possess and develop are built upon the foundational success attributes covered in the last ten posts. These foundational attributes include self-discipline, optimism, competitiveness, initiative, resourcefulness, determination, caring, empathy and emotional intelligence, communication, and influence. Success in sales depends first on developing these attributes. The next ten posts will cover the sales-related attributes and…
Influence: The Ability to Persuade Others

S. Anthony Iannarino

6 Feb 2010 | 11:13 am

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The tenth foundational attribute for salespeople is Influence. What Is Influence? Influence is the ability to persuade others to act differently, to behave differently, or to believe something. The influence and ability to persuade I am writing about here is not about the tactics that enable influence. It’s not about Cialdini’s six principles of influence: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. It also has nothing to do…
What I Am Afraid Of

S. Anthony Iannarino

4 Feb 2010 | 7:53 pm

I am afraid that you underestimate your competition. I am afraid that you will not go the extra mile. I am afraid that you aren’t leaving it all on the playing field. I am afraid that you could have done a little bit more and that it would have been the difference between winning and losing. I am afraid you are just going through the motions. I am afraid you are going to hit the snooze button. I am afraid you are not sweating the small stuff. I am afraid you are watching television while your competitor is reading a book on sales. I am afraid that you have forgotten how many people are…
Communication: The Ability to Listen and to Explain Ideas

S. Anthony Iannarino

4 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am

For more on increasing your sales effectiveness, subscribe to the RSS Feed for The Sales Blog and my Email Newsletter. The eighth essential attribute for salespeople is Communication. Communication follows the first attribute, self-discipline. Self-discipline precedes communication because it is what is required to truly listen. Communication follows the second attribute, optimism. Optimism ensures that your listening is a positive experience for others, and allows you to assume other people’s intentions are good, despite their choice of words or their tone of voice. Communication follows…

Cindy King
2 Habits To Grow Your International Network

Cindy

7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

International Business Networking International networking plays an important role in international business. It’s how we discover international opportunities and avoid cultural blunders. It’s how we learn to do business in other cultures. One of the important things about international networking is that it needs to be done consistently. You cannot jump in and network for a month or two and stop because you think you have all the answers you need to take action. The risk of making a cultural blunder is too great. Consistent networking ensures that we stay current and…
When Women Create Havoc In Cultural Perceptions

Cindy

4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

Cultural Perceptions Many times when you make a cultural blunder you don’t realize you’ve made one until much later after the damage is done. Sometimes you never learn of your mistake. And often you’ll realize your mistake when you see the damage it’s done. I’ve had a couple of reasons recently to think about the cultural differences in how women are perceived and I’d like to share one of these stories with you. I’m fairly sure the woman in this example did not realize the different perceptions people had of her photo. First Impressions Online Go…
Twitter Interview With Cate Brubaker

Cindy

26 Jan 2010 | 1:39 am

Twitter Interviews – #CKinterview Today’s Cross-Cultural Interview is with Cate Brubaker . Cate is the person behind the Twitter handle @CateBrubaker. Cate Brubaker specializes in intercultural education. By day, Cate is a Cross-cultural Program Development Manager for an international education organization. By night, she’s a blogger, author, and consultant. Cate is also co-founder and President of SIETAR-NC and Marketing Co-chair for the 2010 SIETAR-USA conference. She is based in the U.S. but has lived in Germany and traveled throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and Central…
Sociable! By Shane Gibson & Stephen Jagger

Cindy

20 Jan 2010 | 3:01 pm

Book Reviews A friend of mine, Shane Gibson sent me a digital copy of Sociable! the book he wrote together with Stephen Jagger and it’s just come out today, so I thought I’d share some thoughts about it here today. There is a quote in Sociable! that jumped out at me: “Change happens in an instant, it just takes us a while to adjust” – Anthony Robbins I think this is how most people feel about social media. Shane and Stephen have written a great book for businesses who are having difficulty adjusting to the change in how people want to do business today. Sociable! shows…
45 Cross-Cultural & International Bloggers To Watch In 2010

Cindy

11 Jan 2010 | 3:00 pm

Resources Darren Rowse over at Problogger asked for readers to share a list of bloggers relevant to their industry. A few readers have already shared some good lists. I particularly liked reading the list of Translation and Localization bloggers. So I decided to share the list of bloggers I read to stay current. UPDATE: Darren Rowse has now compiled a list of 47 Lists of Bloggers to Watch in 2010 – well worth looking at! Cross-Cultural & International Bloggers You need cross-cultural and international business skills in order to develop your business internationally.

Paul Castain's Sales Playbook
Sales Playbook Has A New Home!

27 Jan 2010 | 2:35 pm

We have officially moved to a brand spanking new website!Please join us: www.yoursalesplaybook.com and for the hearing impaired www.yoursalesplaybook.com Make sure you sign up to have sales playbook delivered to you inbox. Seriously dude . . .Rock on!
Content & Framework For Effective Mastermind Groups!

24 Jan 2010 | 9:02 pm

I received lots of questions last week with regard to how I set up my Mastermind Groups as well as ideas for topics for discussion. Let's take a look at both!Set up:6-8 people seems to work best. More than that and you have a bunch of "Type A's" interrupting the hell out of each other. Less than that and you may hear crickets on the phone.60-75 mins in length. More than that and you are starting
Walt Disney & The 3 Types Of People

20 Jan 2010 | 10:40 pm

John Maxwell tells an interesting story about how Walt Disney categorized people. According to Disney, there are 3 types of people: The first type is the Well Poisoner. The Well Poisoner discourages you, stomps on your creativity and tells you what you can't do. When I lost everything I had, I took on several jobs. One was at a local Italian Restaurant. These Bastards went out of their way to
Your Personal Board Of Directors!

18 Jan 2010 | 8:43 pm

Every now and again, life has a habit of giving us a "tap on the shoulder", that is, a moment that causes us to take notice and become more mindful. One of those moments arrived for me the other day as I was listening to a CD from Success Magazine. Darren Hardy asked a very simple but powerful question . . . "Are you where you thought you'd be when you began the last decade" The tap on the
The Excitement Of A New Year . . . A Guest Post From Neil Wood

13 Jan 2010 | 7:53 pm

It’s so exciting to have a clean slate – especially after experiencing 2009! I believe that most of us will refer to ’09 as “a year to remember!” Do you remember the book written about the maiden and final voyage of the Titanic? It was titled “A Night to Remember!” Many lessons were learned from the Titanic disaster! Others may prefer to title 2009 “a year to forget!” Either way, hopefully we

Jim Logan's B2B Rainmaker
Results Now!

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

It's a bit odd saying this -- especially because of what I do for a living today -- but in all the time I spent in traditional corporate life, I only once hired a consultant. And the experience was less than positive. It's wasn't that the person I hired wasn't capable -- he was well recommended and respected. And truth be told, he did exactly what I hired him to do. That was partly the problem. The disappointment hiring this person had little to do with him and more to do with me. You see, I knew we needed help, but wasn't exactly sure what help we needed. More…
The opportunity and caution of guarantees

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

It's a common secret. And equally common missed opportunity. It's also something widely misunderstood. I'm talking about guarantees. Guarantees are a great way to close business. They give the buyer a level of comfort in making a decision -- a form of insurance if something goes wrong. They're a deal closer. The missed opportunity with guarantees is they're most effective when tailored to the opportunity. When you can guarantee something the prospect values in the deal, it moves the decision forward. Guaranteeing things like satisfaction are…
So-called interruption marketing

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

An early morning conversation led to me think of this post. The point of that post is worth reminding us all -- the problem with the problem with old calling is there is no problem. For all the talk against so-called interruption marketing, there's a part missing in the complaint -- if the interruption is something you value, it's not an interruption. Extreme example: If you're woke in the middle of the night by someone at your door and it turns out to be Publisher's Clearinghouse awarding you a $1M check, that's hardly an interruption you'd find revolting. The same…
Marketing calendars and 14 other things you might have forgotten about

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

{xtypo_quote}Successful marketing doesn’t happen by accident. It takes insightful analysis, dedication to building a business and, most of all, patience. ~Michael McLaughlin{/xtypo_quote} The quote above by Michael McLaughlin says a lot. In fact, it says about all there is say that's truly important about how we should approach marketing. There's a story I could put around this post, but it's not necessary. Just read Michael's post titled 15 Principles for Marketing Any Professional Service. And if you don't market a professional service, don't worry -- the post is equally…
Two openings in my coaching program -- Here's why you should care

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

I currently have two openings in my coaching program. Here are examples of things others have used my coaching program to achieve: 300% increase in effectiveness of direct mail campaign create a market entry strategy develop a series of emails as part of a lead generation campaign establish a multi-year business plan define operating priorities profile target accounts create a unique selling proposition develop an account entry strategy create and establish a competitive position refine core message generate immediate sales activity from a new lead generation campaign Here are some kind…

The Science and Art of Selling
Customers Are Available for Everyone, at Any Time

Alen Majer

8 Feb 2010 | 7:08 am

You’re a sales genius. They love you; they trust you; and some of them keep on coming back for more. However, you can very suddenly go from Hero to Zero if you don’t keep your sales figures up to scratch. As a sales genius, you’ll be working hard to have deals lined up for weeks in advance so that you’re not enslaved by what has been referred to as “the Curse of a Sales Job”. Working month to month, just treading water in the hopes of staying afloat, does not make you a super-sales-hero. You need to plan ahead – take the long-term view and line up those deals to ensure you…
You Always Know How Good You Are

Alen Majer

25 Jan 2010 | 7:00 am

In sales you’ll always know where you stand. No longer do you have to torment yourself with the question of your performance. At the end of the day, your sales figures will be the yardstick that indicates how well you’ve done in selling. You’ll always know how your performance was for that day, for each and every customer. The proof is in the purchase of the product that you’re selling. No-one can fake a purchase or lie to you about how great your pitch was. Customers aren’t concerned with stroking your ego just to pacify you so that they can make a quick escape. If you’re great…
Webinar: Find Buyers Who Are Ready to Buy…Now!

Alen Majer

22 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am

On February 16 I am holding a webinar and there are only few more spots available. Title is:Find Buyers Who Are Ready to Buy…Now! Learn to Identify the Trigger Events That Motivate Prospects to Buy “I have lot of business in my pipeline, but very few deals are closing.” Adding prospects to a sales pipeline is easy … but if they aren’t ready to buy, you’ll waste precious time that could be better spent pursuing accounts that are ready to sign. Although the economy is in strife, people are still buying. The key is to identify which prospects are ready to buy now. In this webinar,…
Why Selling Is Better Than Sex - Part One

Alen Majer

18 Jan 2010 | 8:00 am

The world’s oldest profession involves selling. One might even argue about which came first – the selling or the sex? In fact, selling and sex are so closely related that succeeding at either one of them can be euphoric, addictive, and good fun. Some people might like to argue that selling is not better than sex. They believe it’s the other way round. In this post (and other following this one) I will give you many different reasons why selling IS better than sex. For a start, it’s okay to make a sale in public. In fact, the more people that witness the sale you’re making and the…
Today is the day - my new book is out!

Alen Majer

14 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pm

Finally - my new book Selling Is Better Than Sex is out! Here is the part of the press release: New Book by Alen Majer Claims that Selling Is Better Than Sex Toronto, ON – January 15, 2010 – Alen Majer, internationally sought-after speaker and sales consultant, tells in his new book released today how to get thrill out of selling, and why selling is better than sex. The book, targeting sales people and business owners, shows how to transfer the sex energy into sales enthusiasm to improve your career and life, and gives more than 200 reasons why selling is even better than sex. The book…

Quick Sales Tips
How to Build a Picture With Your Customer

admin

22 Jan 2010 | 3:06 pm

Figure out how to help a customer understand how he/she can use the product you're selling by painting a picture of why they need the product.
QST Adds Online Business School Degree Listings

admin

15 Nov 2009 | 8:26 am

Hello All! There are going to be some interesting changes coming to Quick Sales Tips over the next couple months. First off, A COMPLETE REDESIGN!!!!! This is well needed and long overdue, the site was put up years ago and hasn’t been changed for a while. The sales blog is going to be changing to reflect [...]
Sales Managers Quick Tip: Motivating your Sales Staff

admin

25 Oct 2009 | 6:32 pm

Motivating and managing key employees can prove to be one of the most difficult tasks required of business owners and managers, and the ultimate success of a company can rely on the ability to understand the most common mistake that sales staff make. It is important to realize that most people consider a job in [...]
Top Business Social Media Websites for Busy Sales Professionals

admin

17 Oct 2009 | 6:32 am

Okay… I know that this topic has been done before. That being said I thought I might bring a different perspective to the mix. As you may or may not know, I own a SEO Company called WebTalent SEO. I often use social media websites to connect with prospects and generate qualified sales leads. I [...]
Suggestions For Overcoming Sales Comfort Zones

admin

16 Oct 2009 | 6:57 am

Learn how to find your sales comfort zone especially when cold calling or selling over the phone. Learn from the Pros and turn your sales calls into your friend, not your enemy.

YourSalesManagementGuru.com
Recovering Your Economy

2 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am

Your objective for 2010? Be aggressive.
Did You Exceed January's Sales Numbers?

25 Jan 2010 | 12:15 pm

While short-term success is critical, a larger lesson needs to be considered: that of recruitment.
Building a High-Performance Sales Culture

19 Jan 2010 | 10:07 am

This time of year, it's all about atmosphere.
New Year, New Goals

6 Jan 2010 | 12:01 pm

Time to refocus.
Year-End Sales Strategy

14 Dec 2009 | 12:28 pm

Maximizing time, increasing sales strategy sessions and focusing on every opportunity can make the difference at this time of year.

Sales & the City
5 Ways to Get a Return on Your Time Investment in the Annual Sales Meeting (Plus: Sales Meeting Idea)

admin

7 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

(Make sure to check out the Sales Meeting Idea at the bottom of this post.) This week we wrote about annual sales meetings that many companies invest in each year. The problem with many is that the reps get back to the field and there is no post-meeting plan – or support – to implement any new ideas, training or on-going focus. The excitement generated by the fancy meeting is not sustainable and all the company has left are the bills from the party. If your company has made little effort to bring the annual sales meeting ideas back to the territories and customers, there…
Neal Boortz is Outraged. You Should Be, Too.

admin

4 Feb 2010 | 6:41 am

Neal Boortz is outraged this morning. To be fair, no matter which day I choose to write this, I could start my post the same way and, to be fair again, there is a lot of stuff to get outraged about if you enjoy being outraged. Today’s particular outrage is about a school district here in the Atlanta area spending $400K of federal stimulus money to take 200 teachers to a conference in Hollywood, CA for 4 days of learning and development. The justification for this includes the idea that the teachers will come back from this trip excited about what they learned and eager to…
Find Time for Training: 6 Steps for Incorporating Training into Sales Meetings from Selling Power

admin

3 Feb 2010 | 2:57 pm

I came across this great Selling Power article today and wanted to share with our readers: Find Time for Training: 6 Steps for Incorporating Training into Sales Meetings from Selling Power Add another dimension to sales meetings – one that pays off down the road. While ongoing sales education is one key to success, it can be hard to find time for sales training in an already crowded meeting agenda. Hit your audience members with too much material, and you lose their interest. Try to work sales training in where you have an empty spot, and the odds are you’ll never work it in at…
Troubleshooters Gain 100 Selling Hours in 2010

admin

3 Feb 2010 | 1:25 pm

What could you do with 100+ ADDITIONAL selling hours per year? I did the math on this a few years ago and since then have been committed to solving nagging little troubles that arise. Let me explain. Often a sales rep will face a recurring and nagging trouble such as invoice issues, late deliveries, collections, implementation schedule conflicts and other customer service/post-sale issues. Because of my own frustration with these things, I’ve added up the minutes I spend on these issues in a typical sales week. Believe it or not, 2 hours is a low average. And, more…
Communicate First

admin

2 Feb 2010 | 5:43 am

(Post brought to you by Jill Myrick of Meeting to Win. Meeting to Win provides sales team meeting agendas and topics to our subscribers. To see subscription options, click here Communication seems to be the common theme in any successful relationship – parent and child, husband and wife, co-worker and co-worker, boss and employee. The most successful salespeople become masters of communication. Before you can master effective communication, it’s OK to … just communicate. If there is a relationship in your life that is suffering or just feels vulnerable (customer,…

TradePub: Retail
Navigating Through Turbulent Times

9 Feb 2010 | 10:20 am

By targeting critical business processes with high ROI and rapidly implementing solutions with retail best practices, retailers can not only reduce costs but also drive revenue, profits, and customer satisfaction.Request Free!
Web Wholesaler

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

Web Wholesaler offers the latest in new products and merchandise sources, ideas and statistics on what is selling online NOW, as well as up to the minute news and information on industry trends, e-business growth and management strategies, and methods for increasing your revenues.Request Free!
Residential Systems

1 Feb 2010 | 12:20 am

Provides custom home entertainment, automation, and security design and installation professionals with the most penetrating insights into how business and technology trends will affect their industry in the years to come.Request Free!
Systems Contractor News

15 Jan 2010 | 3:20 am

Systems Contractor News serves contracting firms/systems integrators, consulting firms, rental companies, dealers/distributors, manufacturers reps and software providers, government/military/corporate, and education and others allied to the field.Request Free!
License Global

4 Jan 2010 | 9:20 am

License Global, the leading trade publication for intellectual property licensing and merchandising, provides award-winning editorial focusing on business deals, trends and marketing strategies on every category of consumer products.Request Free!

TradePub: Sales & Marketing
Navigating Through Turbulent Times

9 Feb 2010 | 10:20 am

By targeting critical business processes with high ROI and rapidly implementing solutions with retail best practices, retailers can not only reduce costs but also drive revenue, profits, and customer satisfaction.Request Free!
Battle Plan: Multilateral Online Marketing (MOM)

5 Feb 2010 | 4:50 pm

Learn the benefits of a coordinated online marketing attack that leverages teamwork and shared data. "Battle Plan: Multilateral Online Marketing (MOM)" looks at everything from Search Engine Optimization and Paid Search to Video Marketing and Opt-in Email Marketing. Key topics include:Maximizing online marketing initiativesSharing creative, dataBuilding teamsImproving Calls to Action Effective timing of email marketingRequest Free!
The Dawn of a New Industry - Internet Video Production and Marketing

5 Feb 2010 | 4:50 pm

Learn what it takes to produce online videos that drive sales, leads and publicity for your business. "The Dawn of a New Industry - Internet Video Production and Marketing" explains why Internet video is growing at such a rapid pace and offers tips on how to begin your own video marketing campaigns.Topics include:Key questions to considerIndustry trends and statisticsEssential equipment and price rangesResponse form integrationWhy shorter videos are betterRequest Free!
How To Choose An Email Marketing Vendor

5 Feb 2010 | 4:50 pm

Learn what questions to ask and discover what's at stake when you select an opt-in email marketing firm to maximize your campaigns. "How To Choose An Email Marketing Vendor" looks at everything from ISPs to the expertise you'll need. Key topics include:Black listsCan Spam ActMessage header structureMessage design and image/text ratiosDeliverability auditsTracking technology and data segmentationRequest Free!
12 SEO Campaign Killers

5 Feb 2010 | 4:50 pm

Learn how to avoid some critical mistakes marketers make when rolling out search engine optimization strategies. "12 SEO Campaign Killers" puts the tough work of SEO in perspective, covering everything from keyword performance expectations to understanding the value of social media websites. Other critical topics include:TrainingThinking holisticallyROI considerationsRanking analysisWhat link bait really meansRequest Free!

Art Sobczak's Telesales Blog
Attitude Tip from a Green Beret: “It’s only pain if you acknowledge it.”

Art Sobczak

4 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am

I have tremendous respect, admiration, and gratitude for our military personnel, both present, and veterans. "60 Minutes" did a great piece on the Green Berets last Sunday, and if you have interest you can watch it at the CBS site In that piece, one of the Green Berets was accidentally shot in the leg an Afghan soldier they were training. He is a medic himself and refused to take morphine, he had surgery the next day, and was back in action within 24 hours! In an interview, Lara Logan of 60 Minutes asked him to describe the feeling when he was shot. He described it as a burning…
Training to Help Sell Babies

Art Sobczak

3 Feb 2010 | 9:07 am

During the past 27+ years I’ve worked with companies selling lots of products and services, some very conventional such as software, office supplies, subscriptions of all types, and more. And then there are those products and services that you might not typically think about as being your typical sold-by-phone items: breast pumps, catheters, condoms, adult toys, and now, babies. Yesterday I had the opportunity to work with the great crew at RealityWorks. They sell babies. No, it wasn’t the group you might have heard about that got busted in Haiti. Not real babies. These are the…
Thomson Reuters National Sales Meeting Training

Art Sobczak

31 Jan 2010 | 2:11 pm

I’ve had the great opportunity to work with several divisions of Thomson Reuters over the past 10 years. It’s a company that really "gets it" regarding how to manage and execute inside sales at the highest level. Last Friday I presented all day for reps from their Creative Solutions, PPC, and MyPay divisions. It was a large group so I split the photos into two shots below. Forward-thinking companies like Thomson, and the many others I’ve worked with, especially…
Analyze the Sales You Won to Find More

Art Sobczak

28 Jan 2010 | 12:14 pm

While working on my new book, " Smart Calling -Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling," (out in March 2010) I had the opportunity to interview some very fascinating people who have lots to offer for us salespeople. Craig Elias was a top sales rep for telecommunications company World-Com. During its collapse, Craig realized that he could either find another company to sell for, or do something on his own. He chose the latter. He felt that he could help other sales reps use a model he discovered and fine-tuned while rising to the top at Worldcom. When analyzing…
What to Do With an Immediate Brush Off

Art Sobczak

26 Jan 2010 | 7:36 am

At a training seminar I was asked what to do with a prospect who blows you off the phone even before you can get your opening statement out of your mouth. Should you just call back right away and act like you were disconnected, he asked. Well, you could, but really, is that going to cause them to think how clever you are? I doubt it. If this truly is a prospect that you want to pursue, consider some alternatives. First, consider that the prospect might be having a bad day, or has just experienced an office emergency requiring immediate attention. Therefore another contact might be worth…

Salesjournal.com
Author Dave DeMelo: How To Get Out of an Interview

kathleen

9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

I have been an executive recruiter for the past 5 years and throughout my tenure in this profession I have heard a plethora of excuses as to why a candidate cannot attend an interview. Often times, the cancellation comes the day of the interview, leaving recruiters like myself to scramble and put out the fire with our clients. There have been instances where a candidate has to cancel an interview for reasons to do with their current job: surprise visit from a client, unexpected ride day with the boss, etc. Granted a candidate’s first priority should be their current job, it is…
American Idol Sales Skills Training: Record a Video of yourself

kathleen

8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

Like any other skill, singing is all about discipline and practice. Realizing natural ability only accounts for a small piece of the puzzle. Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers documents this truth in great detail.Hence, the parallel drawn to Selling Skills. Top sales leaders are not only the ones who are disciplined to do things repeatedly, they do them RIGHT repeatedly. But the ability to cold-call effectively, give masterful sales presentations and ask open ended questions to quickly qualify prospects is not something that happens without a disciplined well-planned…
Sales Trends for 2010

kathleen

5 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

This week’s blog is by Drew Stevens PhD, one of the worlds leading experts in sales and sales skills, and author of Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible – 12 Strategies for Ultimate Success. The New Year has begun and already the anxiety and excitement is building. As many seek refuge from the negativity of the media, others look ahead to new beginnings. We are moving toward a pre boom economy and selling professionals and managers will need to be more efficient and more productive next year. Here are some of the areas that will be affected: 1. Lead…
Confident at Cold Calling? A Reality Check on Positive Thinking

kathleen

4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

Before you make a cold call, do you “gear up” first? Do you get excited about your product or service, and try to anticipate making the sale? Well, if you’re following the old traditional cold calling mindset, that’s probably what you’ve been trained to do. But what you don’t know is that enthusiasm and confidence usually backfire on you. Why? Because you’re talking with someone who doesn’t know you. Think about how you’d feel if someone you don’t know approaches you with a lot of zest and enthusiasm. You’ll probably take a step back. You’re a little suspicious and…
Published on Monster.com: What Would Your Colleagues Say About You?

kathleen

3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

It’s one of the more challenging job interview questions: “What would your colleagues say about you?” Instead of fumbling around for an answer, prepare for it ahead of time and you can slam dunk this difficult personal question. Why Ask Interview Questions Like This? Most prospective employers ask this interview question to see if the description you give synchs up with the impression you’re making. “Some people are really good at interviewing,” says Sarah Baker Andrus, director of external relations and academic programs at CutCo in Olean, New York. “It’s a great way to…

Managing the Salesforce
@Peak – 7 Sales Trends in 2010 (Requires 43 seconds to read)

At the end of last year, we conducted an informal poll with sales leaders in our network on what selling trends we can expect to see in 2010. Here is what they had to say: Competition – Expect fierce competition as companies are still struggling with cash flow. Your team will have to fight harder than [...]
@Peak – 10 Hot Points for 2010 Sales Goals (Requires 35 seconds to read)

This is the time of year most people think about goals (of course, our readers think about goals year round). Whether you make detailed sales plans or tend towards goals that fit on a napkin, make sure to include the following hot topics in your thinking for 2010 sales goals. Besides the economy, how did your [...]
@Peak – 7 Habits of Highly Effective Selling Orgs

Most of our readers will be familiar with Stephen Covey’s great book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Basic stuff we know, but what percentage of your sales force has read this book and how many are practicing the habits? Junior reps, in particular, are good at being busy, however they are not always productive. [...]
Commission Plans that Backfire

A few days ago I bought a new cellphone at a retail outlet and thought I would share the experience since it highlights how not to design a comp plan (no need to mention the company). The store rep was great, engaging me, asking questions, showing various different products and sharing facts and opinions on each. [...]
@Peak – How to Structure a B2B / Enterprise Sales Force

Many companies can’t resist the temptation to hire a group of inexpensive junior resources to pound the phones and generate more sales at a lower cost of sales, but the results are too often disappointing for a variety of reasons – lack of support from marketing, required tools and processes don’t exist, or the sales [...]

Sharon Drew Morgen
Shirley, Gold’s Gym, and the problem of group disappointment

Sharon Drew Morgen

9 Feb 2010 | 6:24 am

I went to the gym to my regular workout, which includes an hour doing an aerobic workout with the beloved instructor Shirley. Shirley is this little tiny woman who has obviously worked out her whole life. She’s buff and compact, cheerful and friendly. She is conscientious, and thoughful, and responsible, and fun. And every Monday evening as I leave, I look forward to her saying, “I love you Sharon Drew!” But tonight, Shirley wasn’t there, nor will she ever be again, apparently. Where did she go? She was fired. Why? No one knows. After years and years of training 15…
Leadership Involves Helping Others Decide

Sharon Drew Morgen

8 Feb 2010 | 7:50 am

Tomorrow I do a webinar with the Business Management Institute called Executive Decision Making: Influencing with Integrity How does my focus on a buyer’s decision making parallel with decision making in general? For me, it’s all the same: I believe that every choice, every new concept, every new action demands a decision to allow in something new and and supplement what’s already there. So whether a buyer seeks a new solution and must get buy-in from the relevant people, or a user needs to use the new software, or an initiative needs agreement from the relevant team…
Lead Gen isn’t enough

Sharon Drew Morgen

5 Feb 2010 | 4:54 am

Do you spend a lot of time collecting names that might be prospects? Do you spend a lot of money learning how to follow prospects on line, so you can guess where they are in the decision making process? Has all of this activity substantially increased your ROI? What you’re forgetting – or ignoring – is that no matter what information the buyer needs, or how often they (and their colleagues) visit your site, or how deftly follow their activity with your ability to track ‘Digital Body Language,’ at the end of the day, you will not be there when they sit down to…
The Heart of Business

Sharon Drew Morgen

4 Feb 2010 | 4:59 am

For decades, I have been a proponent of, and keynoter in the field of, Spirituality in the Workplace. There seem to be different names for it these days: the heart of business, corporate social responsibility, conscious capitalism, patient capitalism, bringing the heart to work. What it means, underneath all of the words, is that we recognize that we have a responsibility to care about each other, and the earth, and run our businesses in a way that end up with a net plus — not just increased profit. What, exactly, are the skills we need to help make a difference, to help people choose…
Facilitative Questions are NOT open questions

Sharon Drew Morgen

2 Feb 2010 | 4:47 am

Sitting and listening to NPR Saturday afternoon, I heard someone say, “You need to ask OPEN/FACILITATIVE QUESTIONS.” For the 20,000 people who have studied with me and spent weeks learning how to formulate Facilitative Questions, and for the thousands who have purchased my latest book Dirty Little Secrets that has part of a chapter on this new form of question, you will be surprised that anyone would assume open questions and Facilitative Questions were remotely similar. I suppose the good news is that, like the other terms (‘decision facilitation’ and Buying…

A Sales Guy
You Want Big Dollars; Solve Big Problems

Keenan

9 Feb 2010 | 5:43 am

I was on a call today with a partner when they told us they weren’t going to bid our solution. They said they were going to go a different direction. A few people on my team asked a couple of high-level questions, but you could tell everyone was a bit shocked and little was being said. I sat and listened for a minute, concerned no one was going to probe. Just as I was about to start the probing myself, someone jumped in and started asking the right questions. They asked the partner why they chose the alternative option. They asked how they came to the decision they did etc. They probed…
Collaborative Coaching

Keenan

8 Feb 2010 | 8:19 am

The other day, I came across a comment in a post. I found it interesting. The commentator was struggling with getting a prospect to make a decision in her favor. She was frustrated, as she felt she had a superior offer. I thought it was a great case study, so I put it on this blog to get your opinions. I wasn’t surprised to see the great responses you left in the comments. I think Toff has some good stuff to work with. I’d like to do this again. With enough participation, I’d like to do it weekly. Some of the readers of this blog are brilliant sales coaches, leaders and…
Sales Leaders; Got Your Coaching Hat On?

Keenan

6 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am

My friend Jen Ward wrote a post the other day about how to change behavior. It had this great quote in it; “sales reps need to become comfortable with making others uncomfortable.” I agree with her. Someone also agreed with her and left this comment. “This makes sense. I rarely ever push for a sale from a client, yet I routinely see companies who do a lower level of quality take sales away from me because they push the clients really hard. I’ve ended up with many clients who went with someone else to build their site and then a year later came back to me to fix what the…
Sales Smack: Are Sales People on Autopilot?

Keenan

5 Feb 2010 | 8:22 am

Our next Sales Smack is this Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00. We’re going to be talking about Sales people and engagement. Are sales people on autopilot? Have we gotten lazy? I’m excited about this one because it’s not black or white. I am expecting some differing opinions. I definitely think sales has changed, and this change is causing sales people and sales organizations to struggle with the changes, but I’m not sure it has put sales people on autopilot. I think this is going to be a great discussion. Sales Smack has been a great event so far. I’m really…
100 Raffle Tickets

Keenan

4 Feb 2010 | 6:51 am

When I was in 8th grade we had raffle selling contest to raise money for our school. The student who sold the most raffle tickets won a prize. I remember being determined to win that contest. I sold tickets to all my Dad’s friends. I went out every day. I went door to door in my neighborhood and the adjoining neighborhoods. I rang doorbells, gave presentions, appealed to peoples good nature and sold like crazy. I busted my ass selling those things. I learned a lot selling the tickets. I learned that there are many different reasons or motives people buy. Some people bought from me…

THE SALES HUNTER'S SALES MOTIVATION BLOG
Sales Leadership and the Super Bowl

Mark Hunter

9 Feb 2010 | 3:29 am

I talk often about the critical importance of demonstrating sales leadership with everyone you meet. I refer to it as “sales is leadership / leadership is sales.” The super bowl was an excellent example of sales leadership. I’m not talking about what occurred on the field during the game. I’m talking about what occurred after the game by what both the winning team and the losing team demonstrated. Both teams directed their comments to their fans, their supporters, and their opponents in a very professional manner. They exhibited a level of class and respect in both victory and…
How is Your 2010 Shaping Up?

Mark Hunter

8 Feb 2010 | 7:22 am

Back in December, I did an informal survey of sales professionals. One of the most encouraging responses? About 60% of those who took the survey said they expect sales to INCREASE in 2010. 27% think sales will be about the same as 2009; only 6% thought sales would decrease. (The other 6% said they thought they would be looking for a different job!) I talk with sales professionals all the time at companies that are finding ways to thrive despite the downturn in the economy. For some companies, the downturn in the economy is exactly what has opened up new opportunities and markets they…
Keep Social Media in its Place

Mark Hunter

4 Feb 2010 | 4:34 am

In a survey I did recently of salespeople, 83 percent said social media played either NO role or only a slight role in their sales process. This is the same survey where 91 percent said their new business comes from either prospecting or referrals. I don’t want to bash social media, because there obviously is a time and a place for it. I myself am on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I do, however, want to drive the point home that unless you can tie your participation in social media to profit rolling in the door, then you need to extremely limit your time on it — especially if…
Sales Training Tip #324: Don’t Cut Your Price

Mark Hunter

2 Feb 2010 | 10:30 pm

Don’t cut your price. Instead, increase your value. Cash is king, Donald Trump talks about this a lot and the same thing applies to how you price. In today’s market, it’s very easy to think the only way to close a deal is by cutting your price, if you’ve been following what I’ve been saying for a long time, you know that my position on this is firm — don’t cut your price, period! If you’re pushed and you can’t get the customer to see and appreciate the value you’re offering them, then look to increase what you offer. Start first by offering to the customer…
Too Much Time on Social Media? Probably.

Mark Hunter

2 Feb 2010 | 5:28 am

If you’re like so many other salespeople, you’ve found yourself joining various social media sites. The challenge is to not allow them to wind up sucking up your valuable time. When you first join these sites, it’s easy to spend too much time on them and I’m not going to yell at anyone for that. What I am going to get upset at is if you’re spending more than 30 minutes a day total on social media sites. The only exception is if you have definite proof that spending more time each day is a key component of your sales strategy. When I say no more than 30 minutes a day, I also am…

healthysalesexec.com
Haiti: A Helping Hand

Adrian

23 Jan 2010 | 7:47 am

Every now and then a disaster comes along on an unprecedented scale. The earthquake that hit Haiti on the 12th January 2010, literally crumbled the capital and many surrounding areas - all of which were heavily populated by its people. Here's how we can help...
Great planning tool for 2010

Adrian

30 Dec 2009 | 2:17 pm

Bored with setting the same goals every New Years, because you write them out in January and then forget about them until December? Here's a tool that can be used to plan anything from racing camels around the Pyramids to Tango classes in Buenos Aires. It's the work of Timothy Ferriss, a master of Lifestyle Design. He living proof that the dream life is up for grabs, and he's nice enough to share his secrets.
Use Google to manage the news, get focused and boost productivity

Adrian

27 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am

Using technology like Google Reader and RSS feeds, saves us from getting distracted by irrelevant 'breaking news stories', and boosts our productivity by getting only what's relevant to us, when we want it.
The Placebo Effect: mind over matter

Adrian

23 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pm

The Placebo Pill has been used for many years by Doctors and Medical Researchers. Could it really be that just believing we'll get better, we will? Surely we haven't been taking over-the-counter and prescription drugs for years, but would have got better anyway? Some interesting thoughts by some very credible people!
No more chesty cough or snotty nose!

Adrian

8 Nov 2009 | 6:05 am

It's well known that for many of us, winter brings, if not colds, then at least many of the symptoms: runny nose, sniffing, flem, chesty cough etc. Of course, it might be all down to that chilly weather, or perhaps there's something else going on...? If our brains and mouths are lax with the door policy, then it's quite likely they'll be a riot.

Partners in EXCELLENCE Blog -- Making A Difference
Does Competition Beat You, Or Are You Beating Yourself?

David Brock

9 Feb 2010 | 10:18 am

I love competing and I love winning! Watching the Super Bowl was great, two great teams who left everything on the field. No this is not a post about what we can learn from the Super Bowl, but the Saints and the Colts are good examples of great competition. Competing against a great competitor is great, it raises the level of play, it forces us to compete more strongly–bringing our best game to the situation. It helps our customers, strong competition should bring better solutions. Even if we lose, strong competition helps us, we learn from losing, we learn where we can improve…
Sales Process 2010, Are You Positioned To Perform?

David Brock

8 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm

Yes, I’m on that soapbox again. There have been a number of research reports released, all highlighting the decline in sales performance. CSO Insights, 2009 Sales Optimization report is one that you should look at. It’s disappointing, but not surprising. My friend, Dave Stein wrote an interesting perspective, Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet? In many ways, the decline is understandable, though not excusable. We are in the midst of overwhelming and rapid change, it’s difficult just keeping our noses above the water. Customers are changing the…
Dear Occupant, I Value Our Relationship…..

David Brock

7 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

I got this piece of LinkedIn Spam: Hello , I’d like to connect to you to on my professional network on LinkedIn. I am a LinkedIn LION with over 4,500+ connections currently. I would be happy to connect so that we can mutually expand our network of potential contacts. Unfortunately LinkedIn has restricted the number of invitations I am able to send, so I am pushed to expand this way. My profile is at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/Mr. X If you are unable to open the above link just go to people search and put Mr. X. Please feel free to send an invitation, I will always…
Are You Earning Great Referrals? Are You Leveraging Them?

David Brock

5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

Referrals are critical for every sales professional. No amount of cold calling will surpass the power of a great referral. Yet most of us are pretty bad about nurturing and developing our customers as great referral resources. Recently, I took the time to read Paul McCord’s “Creating A Million Dollar A Year Sales Income, Sales Success Through Client Referrals.” I thought I had been doing a pretty good job in doing this myself, but I learned a lot from Paul’s book. Paul creates a comprehensive process that ranges from setting expectations with customers on referrals, through…
Rethinking The Customer Buying Experience

David Brock

3 Feb 2010 | 5:44 pm

I’m a great fan of Customer Experience Design. Unfortunately, most of the work in customer experience design tends to be focused on web design, user interfaces and product design. There is some interesting Design Thinking work being done in business process/strategy. I think as sales professionals we need to rethink the Customer Buying Experience. Actually, it’s already being done, but, it’s being designed without us! Social media and networking create means by which customers are already redesigning their buying experiences. Axel Schultze wrote an outstanding…

David Steel's Blog
Is Your Sales Training Working?

David Steel

20 Jan 2010 | 11:51 am

When it comes to training your sales force and implementing changes to fundamentally shape the landscape of your client or a company, a lot of money, effort, and resources are placed into making sure that sellers have the right tools to succeed on the job. However, many executives and sales managers have experienced a unique situation where they've spent a fortune on sales training while not being able to point to how it's working for the company. In other words, efforts to recruit and train better sellers are met with frustration as the techniques that are taught and learned in…
How to Make Your Sales Meetings More Productive

David Steel

13 Jan 2010 | 10:35 am

If your sales meetings are often interrupted by cell phone ringtones, late arrivals, and other distractions then it may be time to change the way your meetings are conducted. There are definite ways to make your sales meetings more productive for the trainer and the salespeople. Implementing effective strategies now and even changing some of your own behavior when talking to your sales force will go a long way in creating success for everyone. Punctuality - This is a crucial component of having a productive sales meeting. Whether it's having people arrive late altogether or taking an…
12 Jan 2010 | 10:17 am

David Steel

12 Jan 2010 | 10:17 am

check out http://ping.fm/kLHry I will be speaking at the event in Feb. We will be tweeting valuable social media info from Turkey.
6 Jan 2010 | 6:38 pm

David Steel

6 Jan 2010 | 6:38 pm

Tonight's Webinar was huge!!! will post where you can get a copy if you missed it.
What is the role of a sales manager?

David Steel

6 Jan 2010 | 10:34 am

The role of a sales manager is actually pretty diverse, as not only is this individual in charge of a team of people, but he or she must be prepared to lead the selling in the retail location. Every manager in the industry would love to have a staff full of expert salespeople, but this simply is not the case because people who are great at selling usually move up to better jobs. Even sales managers that are reaching their sales quotas usually have to take care of most of the sales by themselves because they are not managing their staff well enough. Therefore, the first goal of a sales manager…

Fill the Funnel
Whiteboard Productivity Missing?

Miles Austin

9 Feb 2010 | 5:46 am

We all have a favorite communication style that has proven most effective. Some of us are best with the written word. Video and audio are effective for others. Some of my best work comes about on a whiteboard, usually with others adding their thoughts and ideas to the mix in a collaborative effort. That was easy to accomplish in the “old days” when all of us worked in a corporate or branch office, with everyone able to grab a coffee or lunch and meet together to brainstorm. That is one of the activities that I miss the most now that I work out of a home office. You might…
If I Only Knew Photoshop

Miles Austin

3 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

Have you ever had this thought? For those of us who are not artistic, do not have the patience or time to learn Photoshop and really just need to get an image tweaked and into your presentation or proposal before the deadline you know what I mean. Or you are in your hotel room and need to do some photo work but your photo-editing software that you do know how to use is at your home office, not your laptop. I hold those that are fluent in Photoshop in high regard. We all need to know someone who is the Photoshop guru at some point but I do not have the time nor interest to learn it…
Nancy Nardin’s 215 Movement and eBook

Miles Austin

19 Jan 2010 | 1:20 pm

“Sales reps have only 18 days a month when they can pursue, advance and close a sale.” This quote from Nancy Nardin, Founder and Editor of Smart Selling Tools in her new eBook titled: Increase Sales Productivity: Sales Tools and the path to productivity gains has triggered conversations in sales cubes around the world. I had the opportunity to ask Nancy about her new book and what she calls “The 215 Movement”. Miles: In your eBook you have introduced something you call The 215 Movement. What is it and why is it important for salesmakers to understand it? Nancy: There are only…
Web Tools – The Fastest Way to Fail in Sales

Miles Austin

12 Jan 2010 | 8:27 am

Web Tools – the fastest way to fail in sales. Take a moment and follow the link to read the guest post I wrote on this topic. photo by Chris Daniels/Flickr Would be great to hear what you think. Might also be a great time to subscribe to their RSS feed. Always interesting content provided at the ZoomInfo Blog. ©2010 Fill the Funnel. All Rights Reserved..
Newest Wireless Tool Increases Sales Productivity

Miles Austin

7 Jan 2010 | 3:23 pm

We spend much of our time at Fill the Funnel training and writing about Web Tools for Salesmakers. In other words - software. This post crosses over that line for a rare recommendation of a physical device – Cellular WiFi Intelligent Mobile hotspots. I have been a satisfied user of a cellular USB modem for several years, allowing me to connect from any location that I find myself in within the U.S. Just plug it in, fire up the software and I get an internet connection. Easy connections anywhere are truly a requirement for me as we run our entire operation in the…

Media Sales Today
Ad Opportunity: New Demographics and Higher Education

Kathy Crosett

8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

Colleges and universities have long relied on the traditional recent high-school graduate to populate their lecture halls. However, from now until 2017-2018, the number of high-school graduates is predicted to drop. Some regions, such as the Northeast, expect to see annual drops of 1% in the potential pool of traditional students while the South may actually see a rise in the number of annual high school graduates.
Do You Know How to Nurture Leads?

Jessica Helinski

5 Feb 2010 | 1:23 pm

To successfully nurture a lead, one must first know the meaning of nurture.
Big Game Trivia: How Much on Potato Chips?

Michelle OBrien

5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

The big game is right around the corner, with kickoff scheduled for 6:28 EST on Sunday. CBS is hoping for a record number of viewers, and as always, there's a lot more going on than just a football game. There are the ads, of course, which this year include a new entry from GoDaddy and the return of the Budweiser Clydesdales, and the half-time spectacle featuring The Who. Whether you're in it for the ads or the game, here are some game day tidbits to get you through the party, courtesy of Media Life Magazine:
Set the Right Tone During Sales Calls

Jessica Helinski

3 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

A new trend in sales calls has made one blogger stop and take notice (and not in a good way).
Analysts Predict 3.5% Rise in U.S. 2010 Ad Market

Kathy Crosett

2 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pm

While industry experts have been predicting a general recovery in the U.S. ad market this year, Anthony J. DiClemente, a New York-based analyst with Barclays, gets specific. In his latest forecast, DiClemente is looking for an overall 3.5% rise in this sector.

Team Logan
Results Now!

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

It's a bit odd saying this -- especially because of what I do for a living today -- but in all the time I spent in traditional corporate life, I only once hired a consultant. And the experience was less than positive. It's wasn't that the person I hired wasn't capable -- he was well recommended and respected. And truth be told, he did exactly what I hired him to do. That was partly the problem. The disappointment hiring this person had little to do with him and more to do with me. You see, I knew we needed help, but wasn't exactly sure what help we needed. More…
The opportunity and caution of guarantees

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

It's a common secret. And equally common missed opportunity. It's also something widely misunderstood. I'm talking about guarantees. Guarantees are a great way to close business. They give the buyer a level of comfort in making a decision -- a form of insurance if something goes wrong. They're a deal closer. The missed opportunity with guarantees is they're most effective when tailored to the opportunity. When you can guarantee something the prospect values in the deal, it moves the decision forward. Guaranteeing things like satisfaction are…
So-called interruption marketing

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

An early morning conversation led to me think of this post. The point of that post is worth reminding us all -- the problem with the problem with old calling is there is no problem. For all the talk against so-called interruption marketing, there's a part missing in the complaint -- if the interruption is something you value, it's not an interruption. Extreme example: If you're woke in the middle of the night by someone at your door and it turns out to be Publisher's Clearinghouse awarding you a $1M check, that's hardly an interruption you'd find revolting. The same…
Marketing calendars and 14 other things you might have forgotten about

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

{xtypo_quote}Successful marketing doesn’t happen by accident. It takes insightful analysis, dedication to building a business and, most of all, patience. ~Michael McLaughlin{/xtypo_quote} The quote above by Michael McLaughlin says a lot. In fact, it says about all there is say that's truly important about how we should approach marketing. There's a story I could put around this post, but it's not necessary. Just read Michael's post titled 15 Principles for Marketing Any Professional Service. And if you don't market a professional service, don't worry -- the post is equally…
Two openings in my coaching program -- Here's why you should care

31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm

I currently have two openings in my coaching program. Here are examples of things others have used my coaching program to achieve: 300% increase in effectiveness of direct mail campaign create a market entry strategy develop a series of emails as part of a lead generation campaign establish a multi-year business plan define operating priorities profile target accounts create a unique selling proposition develop an account entry strategy create and establish a competitive position refine core message generate immediate sales activity from a new lead generation campaign Here are some kind…

Sales Management Today
Have You Read the Top Sales Articles of 2009?

Steven Rosen, MBA

22 Jan 2010 | 8:42 am

Each month you will find the Top 10 Sales Articles of the Month at www.topsalesarticles.com. You can also cast your vote to determine the top sales article of the month. Once a year the top articles of each month compete for the Article of the Year. I am proud to say that my article “5 Ways to Gauge Your Sales Managers Coaching” was voted as the Top Sales Article of the Year 2009. I would like send a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who supported me as well as the panel of top experts who also voted. Thanks also to Clayton Shold at Salesopedia for publishing my article. There were many great…
Generate 20% More Sales?

Steven Rosen, MBA

22 Jan 2010 | 8:08 am

The past year was very challenging for many sales managers, but now it’s 2010 and we need to look ahead. Have you increased your sales targets? How will you ensure that your team delivers the goods? From a personal perspective in leading sales forces and working with sales leaders, I’ve seen that too many sales organizations operate well below their potential. The regions that do the best are ones that are led by STAR frontline sales managers. Studies show that: • The No. 1 performance factor for salespeople is the quality of their manager. A high-quality manager has far greater…
The 8% Solution

Steven Rosen, MBA

16 Dec 2009 | 1:02 pm

Coming up to the New Year there are a couple of things you can count on as sales professionals, one of which is that you quota will rise. That’s not bad, it is just a fact, so the question becomes what can you do, now, to ensure that you can deliver. The question comes down to how you can become more effective in what you do in the process of becoming more productive. To help you and your team achieve this we have brought together three sales specialists to share specific things you can do going into 2010 to get and stay ahead of the curve. Over the next three days we will present…
Vote for the Top Sales Article of 2009

Steven Rosen, MBA

14 Dec 2009 | 11:04 am

I am very excited that my article “5 Ways to Gauge Sales Management Coaching” (below) is one of the top 12 sales articles of 2009Voting is now taking place for the Top Sales Article of the Year. Please help me by casting your vote. Click here to vote. 5 Ways to Gauge Sales Management Coaching A highly successful vice president of sales recently shared his frustration with the members of his sales management team, who he felt were focused only on results. He worried that they were not spending any time developing their salespeople. His longer-term view is based on the belief that…
Sales Leadership in Turbulent Times

Steven Rosen, MBA

30 Nov 2009 | 8:14 am

Leading Change in the Pharmaceutical Industry Dan Smith is the VP of sales of a leading pharmaceutical company. He has been a sales leader in the Pharmaceutical Industry for the last 10 years. He has spent most of his pharmaceutical career engaged in various sales and marketing roles. He remembers the days when “we would be adding a new sales force every year or two”. He reminisces about the good old days when he went to extravagant sales meetings in exotic locations, and had fun. In 2009, Dan recognizes the need to move to a smaller sales force. His company is facing patent expiration…

Women In Sales
Balance- Whatever…

jbagwell

20 Jan 2010 | 6:25 am

Being a woman in sales, life moves at warp speed most time. I feel like a masterful conductor, juggling all the pieces, trying to keep each instrument of my life in perfect rhythm and harmony. However, there are those times when everything seems to go awry. Times where the music I hear is not only [...]
New Year- Out with the Clutter!

jbagwell

5 Jan 2010 | 7:34 am

As a women in sales- I have the luxury of officing from my home. Well it sounds like a luxury- except for the fact- that the mom/home caregiver in me gets distracted by all the junk and clutter around me. You see- with Christmas comes stuff. Stuff for everyone. When new stuff is combined with [...]
A Pelican named Charlie

jbagwell

30 Nov 2009 | 9:08 am

Yesterday my girls and I were at the beach (Surf City, NC) and we saw a pelican flopping around at the edge of the surf. Upon closer inspection- we saw it had a broken wing. They were mortified (so was I) and we stood there trying to figure out what in heaven’s to do. The [...]
The Monday Morning Minivan Brigade

jbagwell

2 Nov 2009 | 8:14 am

I am not only a Sales Women- but more specifically- I am a Sales Mom. I have 2 precious (albeit passionately temperamental) girls ages 4 and 7. My 4 year old is in pre-school. This morning- as I squealed into the parking lot 5 minutes in my 4 door Jeep Wrangler- I realized there were [...]
Attention All Energy Junkies- Read this!

jbagwell

20 Oct 2009 | 5:16 am

I am a self confessed “Energy Junkie!” My 3 mega-cups of coffee regiment- is a testiment of this fact. Lately, I have found myself zapped of my beloved energy in the middle of the day. With so much left to do, what is an energy junkie to do??? While standing in the Grocery Store check [...]

Dave Stein's Blog for Sales Leaders
Negotiation: Getting More Strategic

Dave Stein

8 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am

I just received a copy of Improving Corporate Negotiation Performance, a new study published by UK-based Huthwaite International and Connecticut-based IACCM—International Association for Contract and Commercial Management. Huthwaite, along with other leaders in the area of negotiation like Think Inc! and The Bay Group, vigilantly drive the critical point that negotiation shouldn’t begin when a company has been selected in a customer buying process. Unfortunately few companies on the sell-side see things the same way. Huthwaite and IACCM have a set forth a 5-phase Negotiation…
Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet?

Dave Stein

3 Feb 2010 | 12:59 pm

I’m on the road all this week. (In fact, I’m writing this on a plane from Minneapolis to Kansas City.) There’s not enough time to for me to write a long, thoughtful blog post. But I don’t have to. I’ve written enough of them here on this subject already—two year’s worth—just in case you’re interested. I’ve been saying again and again that sales performance is continuing to decline. CSO Insights just published their 2009 Sales Performance Optimization report and the results validate my position. I’m not happy I was right. …
One-on-One With Imparta’s CEO, Richard Barkey

Dave Stein

28 Jan 2010 | 10:40 am

Imparta Ltd. is a Tier 1 global sales effectiveness organization based in the U.K. with presence in 32 countries including the U.S. They have many strengths, especially in the areas of creating customer value and methodology. Imparta’s sales training programs encompass sales, marketing, and leadership training. ESR commenced formal coverage of Imparta last year. They are serious about taking a leadership position as a global player. On top of the research we perform on Imparta as a component of our vendor coverage, ESR had an opportunity to see Imparta in action twice: First,…
Hey Salesreps… This Post’s For You.

Dave Stein

25 Jan 2010 | 6:36 am

After a webinar I did in December with The TAS Group, I got an angry email from someone who attended. He wrote, “Instead of all the negatives how about offering some sales help for those of us that still have a job??” I understood his perspective right away. The messages I delivered during the webinar were for sales leaders. I stated some statistics about the state of selling and some recommended courses of action. But if you’re a salesperson struggling to make your numbers, you don’t want to hear about the pain your managers are dealing with from some…
How Sales Trainers & Sales Training Companies Differentiate Themselves

Dave Stein

18 Jan 2010 | 11:51 am

For those of you new to this blog, my firm, ES Research Group, evaluates sales training companies. We deliver our findings in the form of reports, which we sell on our website, and through consultations with companies evaluating sales training providers. First a bit of background. For us, gathering data about sales training companies falls into seven categories. As you can imagine, the quality and quantity of the data varies significantly among each. We speak with sales training company executives directly through formal briefings, informal discussions (of which I have many), and…

Dave Stein's Blog for Sales Leaders
Negotiation: Getting More Strategic

Dave Stein

8 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am

I just received a copy of Improving Corporate Negotiation Performance, a new study published by UK-based Huthwaite International and Connecticut-based IACCM—International Association for Contract and Commercial Management. Huthwaite, along with other leaders in the area of negotiation like Think Inc! and The Bay Group, vigilantly drive the critical point that negotiation shouldn’t begin when a company has been selected in a customer buying process. Unfortunately few companies on the sell-side see things the same way. Huthwaite and IACCM have a set forth a 5-phase Negotiation…
Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet?

Dave Stein

3 Feb 2010 | 12:59 pm

I’m on the road all this week. (In fact, I’m writing this on a plane from Minneapolis to Kansas City.) There’s not enough time to for me to write a long, thoughtful blog post. But I don’t have to. I’ve written enough of them here on this subject already—two year’s worth—just in case you’re interested. I’ve been saying again and again that sales performance is continuing to decline. CSO Insights just published their 2009 Sales Performance Optimization report and the results validate my position. I’m not happy I was right. …
One-on-One With Imparta’s CEO, Richard Barkey

Dave Stein

28 Jan 2010 | 10:40 am

Imparta Ltd. is a Tier 1 global sales effectiveness organization based in the U.K. with presence in 32 countries including the U.S. They have many strengths, especially in the areas of creating customer value and methodology. Imparta’s sales training programs encompass sales, marketing, and leadership training. ESR commenced formal coverage of Imparta last year. They are serious about taking a leadership position as a global player. On top of the research we perform on Imparta as a component of our vendor coverage, ESR had an opportunity to see Imparta in action twice: First,…
Hey Salesreps… This Post’s For You.

Dave Stein

25 Jan 2010 | 6:36 am

After a webinar I did in December with The TAS Group, I got an angry email from someone who attended. He wrote, “Instead of all the negatives how about offering some sales help for those of us that still have a job??” I understood his perspective right away. The messages I delivered during the webinar were for sales leaders. I stated some statistics about the state of selling and some recommended courses of action. But if you’re a salesperson struggling to make your numbers, you don’t want to hear about the pain your managers are dealing with from some…
How Sales Trainers & Sales Training Companies Differentiate Themselves

Dave Stein

18 Jan 2010 | 11:51 am

For those of you new to this blog, my firm, ES Research Group, evaluates sales training companies. We deliver our findings in the form of reports, which we sell on our website, and through consultations with companies evaluating sales training providers. First a bit of background. For us, gathering data about sales training companies falls into seven categories. As you can imagine, the quality and quantity of the data varies significantly among each. We speak with sales training company executives directly through formal briefings, informal discussions (of which I have many), and…

The Pipeline
SBU and Sales Smack

admin

9 Feb 2010 | 3:39 am

This month over at Sales Bloggers Union, the group is post about Different Perspectives. As usual you have over a dozen leading sales bloggers delivering their Perspective on things in sales. Today I look at the question of whether the sales department is sacred and always needs to be, or can some companies do better by considering alternatives such as outsourcing, revamping, or something different than the current questionable model. Sales Smack For more lively discussion on sales, you can join in on Jim Keenan’s Sales Smack, tonight at 7:00 pm Eastern. This interactive…
Sales eXchange – 33

admin

8 Feb 2010 | 1:28 am

Putting The Right Things First Had an interesting discussion with a sales rep, Jim (we’ll call him), at a workshop the other day, discussing whether things were going to get easier for sales people as the economy starts to come back. This was a rep who has been selling in his sector for some time, he has been with his current company for 12 years, and in that time has missed goal only once, and even then only by a bit. He sells a product that is critical for his buyers, but due to the number of players in the game, the acceleration in price wars over the last 18 months, the choice of…
Saturday Sales Tip – 6

admin

6 Feb 2010 | 9:54 am

Leveraging Executive Referrals A couple of weeks back, the Saturday Sales Tip 4 looked at the need to pursue and involve executives in your selling process. Expanding on that, it is important to remember that executives can be great sources of referral, both internal and external to the company you are talking to. As discussed, executives sit at a high enough perch to know what is going on beyond their functional area, as such they can make for great referrals source into other areas within the company. Assuming you make your approach and it turns out that they at that moment are not a…
Actions Speak Louder Than Words

admin

4 Feb 2010 | 3:08 am

There is a great discussion taking place over at S. Anthony Iannarino’s The Sales Blog, examining the nature and impact of competitiveness in sales. In a piece titled In Defense of Competitiveness in Salespeople , Anthony discusses the topic along with input from Dave Brock. As you will see from the comment I left, I would have to back Anthony. For a couple of specific reasons; one was that sales professionals need to be judged by their actions, not their words. Second was that it is the job of the sales person to drive revenue for their companies, while at the same time delivering…
Sales eXchange – 32

admin

1 Feb 2010 | 3:32 am

All or None – Is Not For All While most sales people think they ride around with a big shiny S on their chest, what the buyers see is a big old C; which stands for Change, it stands for Cost, and stands for Chaos. So while the seller and their Marketing department are out pursuing customers, this difference in perception continues to be a barrier to doing business. No one doubts that you have the better mouse trap, way ahead of the others and works twice as fast, and look it’s new. But unless the prospect sees how it can bring some real difference, they are not likely to act,…

New Sales Economy Blog
11 Sales Tips for Cold Calling and Prospecting

Chad Levitt

8 Feb 2010 | 1:26 pm

Guest post by Steve Richard co-founder at Vorsight: No doubt all of us need to get better about marketing ourselves and our offerings with creative content. But what about maximizing your normal cold calling and prospecting activity? 11 Sales Tips for Cold Calling and Prospecting: What is your caller ID strategy? You are probably getting the title of your correct contact, but do you know the reporting structure? Do you understand why calling into direct lines is so critical and how to find your prospects’ direct lines? Have you optimized your time management to capitalize on call windows…
Creating Content vs. Corporate Control Freaks – Why the Battle?

Chad Levitt

4 Feb 2010 | 5:22 am

In a recent post I laid out the New Rules of B2B Sales in the New Sales Economy. One of the new rules is that trust, credibility, and openness are mandatory. Most people understand this rule and agree with it completely, but it is rarely practiced to its fullest in the B2B sales marketplace. Another new rule is that sales reps are in the business of creating content that sells. Let’s be honest here, in the Web 2.0 world, you are what you publish. It is in sales reps’ best interest to take advantage of the huge opportunities that creating remarkable content can bring. The marketing…
B2B Sales Strategy: You Are Your Search Results

Chad Levitt

3 Feb 2010 | 6:08 pm

This post was originally published by Jeb Blount over at the Sales Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Getting the Job Done. I wanted to share it with you all here because it is an excellent post and expands on the Building Your Personal Brand in the New Sales Economy story Jeb and I shared with you last week. As you read this post think hard about the ways you can build your personal brand with social media to gain an edge in a very competitive B2B sales marketplace. What do people find when they Google you? In today’s world where virtually anyone can find anything about you with a few…
My Interview with Anneke Seley: Social Media Sales Strategy

Chad Levitt

2 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am

I recently did an interview with Anneke Seley, the Queen of Sales 2.0 and author of the best selling book: Sales 2.0: Improve Business Results Using Innovative Sales Practices and Technology. Excerpt: Chad Levitt is a model Sales 2.0 guy. He recently accepted a sales role at HubSpot, which makes inbound marketing software. At the time of this interview, he was an inside sales associate responsible for lead generation and account fulfillment at EMC Corp. While he was named EMC’s sales associate of the year for 2009, Chad doesn’t just sell. He is also the author of the NewSalesEconomy.com…
My Interview with Jill Konrath: Sales Strategy for the Web 2.0 World

Chad Levitt

1 Feb 2010 | 6:10 pm

I recently had the awesome opportunity to do an interview for Jill Konrath, the best selling author of Selling to Big Companies. Jill and I explore some really fascinating developments in the B2B sales industry and I dive into why B2B sales reps need to become better marketers. Excerpt: “Hey Sellers! It’s time for a wake-up call.You’re dealing with crazy-busy buyers who don’t act like they’re supposed to anymore. That means you need to do things differently. Today I interview Chad Levitt, the New Sales Economy blogger and a practicing salesperson. I think…

Fearless Selling Blog ~ Kelley Robertson
Superbowl Sales Lessons

8 Feb 2010 | 5:59 am

Last night’s Superbowl game was a great example of the importance of preparation. I could spend a lot of time talking about how each team prepared by reviewing video footage of the other team or completing intense workouts or planning their basic strategy. However, because I’m a big fan of The Who I want to look at the sales lesson that was demonstrated by during the halftime show. It’s about the importance of preparation.From set up to tear down, the entire show was executed in less than 30 minutes.The performers had exactly twelve minutes for their performance. With an event like this…
It's All About Timing

8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

I was recently reminded how important timing is in sales. You can approach a potential prospect with the greatest idea in the world but if your timing is off, you likely won’t move forward in the sales process. This presents a potential problem because if a competitor approaches your prospect when they ARE ready to buy, then you will miss out on a valuable sales opportunity. So, how can you manage this? You certainly can’t be calling your prospect every week to ask them if they are ready to meet or move forward. You can’t read their minds (at least I know I can’t!). And you can’t…
You Gotta Believe!!!

5 Feb 2010 | 1:27 pm

My good friend Paul Castain posted this short video on YouTube. It's worth watching.
Sales Lessons Learned from a Recession

5 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

The past year was definitely interesting. Some sales professionals prospered while others suffered. I spoke to one person who doubled his income—and he works in automotive sales! Yet, another well-established person experienced a decline of more than fifty percent in their sales. There are several key sales lessons that can be learned from selling in a recession. These will help you succeed in the upcoming year.Companies are Leaner: This has been an ongoing factor for many years with continual downsizing and cut backs. However, the recession forced many companies to scale back even further…
The Dangers of Sales Casual

3 Feb 2010 | 6:47 am

In recent months I have noticed a disturbing and dangerous trend in the unsolicited telephone calls I get from sales people. People are behaving too casual. During several calls it appeared that the callers were trying to be, or act casual, perhaps to better connect with me or to be perceived as a non-sales person. Here’s what I noticed.The callers used a casual tone. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it reduces the overall professionalism of the call. When I asked one caller how he was (in response to the same question he had just asked me) he replied, “Well, ya know, I’m…

Talking Media Sales
Take The Long Way Home – Mike’s Travel Diary Part 11

Mike Brunel

8 Feb 2010 | 1:22 pm

“Take the Long Way Home” – Super Tramp, Breakfast in America Before I take the long way home, I have one more day to wind down, so a 20 minute train ride through places like Teddington, New Maldon, Norbiton, Hampton Wick, and North Raynes Park gets me to Waterloo. I enjoy train travel. On a Sunday it is not as busy as during the week. You would be hard pressed to find a seat during a week day trip I would imagine. Finally getting to Waterloo then onto the underground network, it is very easy to get around London. I bought a one day pass for £7.50 ($10US), and you can go on…
Thoughts From Kingston (and your chance to win!) – Mike’s Travel Diary – Part 10

Mike Brunel

7 Feb 2010 | 6:46 pm

As the roadshow draws to a close, I get to have a couple of days to myself before heading home via Munich, Los Angles, Auckland then Wellington – only 23 hours flying time! You may be pleased to know that the inflatables are alive and well on my friend’s lawn; and I am backing the New Orleans Saints to win the Super Bowl. A butcher’s hook at the markets for fruit and vegies I find myself on the first day off in Kingston on Thames, a 3 mile(5km) walk along the Thames from where I am staying. Lots of families out and about and the town is buzzing. In the city square I find the open…
Sales Success Starts With Getting The Right People

Trish Stonestreet

3 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

It’s easy to predict the level of success a sales person will have at your first meeting. It usually comes down to three things – capability, commitment and industry fit. And usually if all three aren’t there in some measure, it’s not going to work out. The media sales industry can be fertile ground for people who see high commission opportunities as their best way to financial success. But they don’t have a clue what it takes to translate that desire into reality. One of your jobs is to help them understand the reality that they need to be willing to work hard enough to…
The Knowledge – Mike’s Travel Diary – Part 9

Mike Brunel

2 Feb 2010 | 11:56 am

We’ve just finished another 3 days of workshops with the management team in London. As part of our roadshow we are launching new products into NRS Media. With any launch of this nature there were some testing and training to do, the outcome was to get the product knowledge up to speed as quickly as possible. To hone that knowledge we gave the team a workshop process. The workshop was designed to allow the team to present the product / products in a live situation. Just like a role play, but tougher. Show Them the Features and Benefits How did we do that? We sent them a pack containing…
Lensbury Club – Mike’s Travel Diary – Part 8

Mike Brunel

1 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pm

Whenever I come to London, we always stay at the Lensbury Club. It’s located in Teddington, just down the road from our offices at Hampton Wick, a train trip from London of 30 minutes. The club was formed in 1920 as a sports and social club for staff of the Royal Dutch Shell Group – otherwise known as Shell Oil. That sounds like a great incentive for your staff - your own country club. I think the only thing a media company can afford these days is to give out the odd free lunch. It expanded over the next 60 years; land was bought around the club, tennis courts, and sporting…