Blog

Read / Download our Latest Articles

05 Oct

Posted at 18:22h in Uncategorized

Salesforces operate like franchises in many organizations, but few consider the similarities.  If sales pros understand the implications, it should increase sales opportunities and closed sales.  Let me explain. Some well-known franchisors include McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts/31 Flavors, Subway, Taco Bell, and Allstate Insurance.  Entrepreneurs usually own the franchises. ...

18 Aug

Posted at 15:02h in Uncategorized

The Wolf, the Eagle, and the Sheep: What Does It Have to Do with Sales? In the 2001 movie Training Day, the lead character, Alonzo Harris, a Los Angeles police officer played by Denzel Washington, makes these memorable statements: “You got to decide whether you’re a wolf… or a sheep” “A wolf...

05 Aug

Posted at 15:50h in Uncategorized

What Surprised Me Most About Sales I have been asked this question many times over the years, and it has never been easy to answer. After more than three decades in enterprise sales, sales leadership, and executive management, I have learned countless lessons. But because the question asks what surprised me...

21 Jul

Posted at 15:07h in Uncategorized

I joined a large consumer goods market research company as Vice President of Client Services (Sales), replacing a highly respected executive who had led the sales organization for more than twenty-five years. He was understandably surprised that he was being replaced, but that is a story for another day. For more...

07 Jul

Posted at 15:53h in Uncategorized

A Day of Green Lights Have you ever had one of those mornings when everything seems to go your way? You wake up refreshed, enjoy a good breakfast, and then drive to work—or wherever the day is taking you—without hitting a single red light. I have had those days, and they...

26 Jun

Posted at 14:48h in Uncategorized

During my career, I have managed or worked with more than 1,000 sales pros, ranging from top performers to those who struggled to meet expectations. I studied high performers closely so I could better identify, hire, coach, and retain them. In my first book, Above Quota Performance,1 I described thirty...

22 Jun

Posted at 18:39h in Uncategorized

Waymo and Autonomous Vehicles: Technology in Search of a Problem? We recently visited San Francisco and were amazed by the prevalence of Waymo autonomous vehicles throughout the downtown area. For those unfamiliar with them, Waymo operates self-driving robotaxis that transport passengers 24 hours a day without a human driver behind the...

19 May

Posted at 15:20h in Uncategorized

The Counterfeit Epidemic in the Celebrity Autograph Market The autograph market is booming, with signed memorabilia from celebrities, athletes, and historical figures selling for extraordinary sums. But where demand and money surge, fraud follows—and the flood of counterfeit autographs has become impossible to ignore I have some familiarity with the autograph market...

12 May

Posted at 15:18h in Uncategorized

So, Who Exactly is the Key Decision Maker, aka Economic Buyer? While many use the term “key decision maker,” I prefer the term “economic buyer,” as popularized by sales trainers and authors Robert Miller and Stephen Heiman.1 There is always one person—or sometimes a small group—who fulfills this role for a given...