Most of us are busy, busy, busy. The economy is strong and customers are expecting shorter lead times and lower prices. As we review client customer lists we often see way too many small customers. The 80/20 concept works. Focus your energy and time on the 20% of your customers that produce 80% of your… Read more »
Are you a continuous learner?
One of the questions we often ask when interviewing candidates for a sales position is “Do you consider yourself a continuous learner?” Of course everyone answers in the affirmative. The follow up questions often unveil very weak underlying examples. Really good salespeople are always learning, always training and always looking for the latest trends. There… Read more »
Are you R.I.P. (Retired In Place)?
Almost every time I start a new client engagement to help improve a sales team I encounter one, or more salespeople that are R.I.P. These are above average sales pros that usually have been around longer than other team members. They are typically nice people. They maintain a nice book of business. They sell about… Read more »
Someday I’ll go sailing
I’m a sailor. I sold my last boat many years ago and now rent (charter) a boat to cruise. One of the charter companies we use sends a newsletter monthly. The last one was called “Someday, I’ll go sailing”. For years after selling the boat we talked about going to the Caribbean for a week… Read more »
There are no secrets
It’s no surprise that the speed of business has accelerated dramatically in the past decade. Our customers have more resources at their fingertips than ever before. What used to take an hour of research in hard copy directories now takes mere seconds online. Not only do they know more about what they need/want to buy,… Read more »
Drip, Drip, Drip
Back in March 2017 I wrote about “Check In” Calls Make You Sound Dumb. It generated a lot of responses. I want to add a little more to that line of thinking. This newsletter is perfect example of what we’ve come to call Drip Marketing. My intention is to offer content without a hard call… Read more »
What’s Your Story?
Not long ago I was coaching a young salesman and we made a joint call on strong prospect. He did a good job starting the call, asking great questions and listening. Then, he told a story that so mirrored what this new prospect was looking for I just sat in awe. Finally, as my young… Read more »
Don’t Waste the Next Two weeks…
It’s coming to that time of year when things begin to slow down. Current prospects become unavailable. More time is spent finding Christmas presents and decorations. Generally, many people begin slipping out of high gear. By the time we reach the week between Christmas and New Year’s we are almost in “PARK”. So, wrap up… Read more »
New customers; how do I find them?
This is the time of year you get a request from your boss to choose target accounts you will sell in the upcoming year. To avoid this becoming a very haphazard exercise, here are few steps to speed the process along. Not everyone is prospect for your product or service. Believe it, or not, some… Read more »
“Winging it” is a bad idea
We’ve all heard the guy with the scripted presentation. No matter what you say, he has a canned reply. It is sooo obvious. I suggest you try something similar yet different. To be clear, a scripted sales call is literally what you say in the conversation. They are effectively used in call centers selling vacations and aluminum… Read more »
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