Sales pros, meet your opponent – decision anxiety. This condition may be defined as the persistent, overwhelming stress and fear associated with making choices and the potential negative consequences. It is your silent deal killer! The key decision-maker in your deal is paralyzed by fear that she will make a bad...
Introduction A seventy-five-year-old Florida grandmother, Donna Adelson, has recently been convicted of the murder of her ex-son-in-law. This prominent law professor was involved in a custody battle with his ex-wife, Donna’s daughter, and was sentenced to life in prison. Despite overwhelming evidence, she continues to claim her innocence. Her claim is...
Understanding the Buyer's Perspective Many sales pros lack insight into what truly happens on the buyer’s side during the sales process. They often wonder what the buyer is thinking, what steps they are taking, and what their overall process looks like. Questions arise about who else the buyer is considering, when...
Penguins and Vertical Market Strategy Penguins are aquatic, flightless birds native to the Southern Hemisphere, living in both warm and cold climates. They are highly social creatures. Many people have seen them in documentaries, movies such as March of the Penguins or Happy Feet, or at zoos. Penguins spend most of...
Sales professionals often ask for my perspective on social media. The landscape now includes platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Quora, WhatsApp, and YouTube—each offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. However, ignoring social media is no longer an option. Every sales professional...
In addition to being an avid sports fan, I have a deep interest in history, particularly American history and its wars. One powerful episode from the Civil War offers a lesson that resonates far beyond the battlefield. The Gettysburg Battle and Dedication of the Cemetery The deadliest battle of the Civil War...
The Unsung Heroes of Sales Success: Why Support Staff and Product Managers Deserve Recognition In business literature, sales success is often attributed almost exclusively to the charisma, persistence, and skill of quota-carrying sales professionals. Yet in my decades of experience—spanning selling solutions from accounting, human resource and payroll, manufacturing, electronic medical...
Who are they? We've all crossed paths with them—the office jerks. Difficult colleagues often share common traits. They may be rude, self-centered, unfriendly, insulting, loud, manipulative, or mean. They get “under your skin.” Whether intentional or not, they make work-life miserable. Their behavior creates tension, undermines collaboration, and can make the workplace...
One of Benjamin Franklin’s most insightful adages—often echoed by my wise father—states: “If you want a task done quickly, ask a busy person to do it.” At first glance, this may seem counterintuitive. Why would you assign more work to someone already occupied instead of turning to someone idle? The...
When your company receives a Request for Proposal (RFP), is it usually assigned to junior or new salespeople to complete? If so, this is a mistake. Let me explain: One of the struggles that many sales pros face today is whether to participate in an RFP process. They are often a mixed...