When I became a sales manager, I believed I had to treat all the salespeople who reported to me equally. As a first-time sales manager, I thought it was essential that no salesperson should receive any special treatment or more of my time than the others. I was also very personally...
I was grocery shopping with my wife a while ago when we perused the jellies and jams aisle. My wife selected a well-known jelly brand that was on sale that week. However, I insisted that we purchase Smucker's jelly. The same thing happened a few minutes later when I insisted...
I recently wrote about an episode early in my sales career when I worked in a shared office environment with salespeople and remote workers. I overheard another salesperson, Stan, tell the manager of the buyer’s contact he had been working with that he had been promised a contract by a...
Many assume that sales is a serious profession—and it certainly is. There are times when it can be very entertaining. Indeed, interacting with potential customers and learning about their company and its challenges can be enjoyable but sometimes very frustrating. Getting selected and closing a contract always gave me pleasure. Some...
Salespeople often ask me to explain the best method of identifying the highest-potential prospects to target. “How can I find these prime prospects so I do not waste my time on companies that will not buy from me (this year)?” There is no easy answer to this, but there is a...
Your sales manager is anxious and wants you to close additional sales this month. Perhaps she is worried about meeting her quarterly or annual new business sales quota. She directs you to go find some “low-hanging fruit.” This a metaphor representing the most accessible fruit to reach on a tree,...
I have seen examples of people who achieved highly successful careers but were still unsatisfied with their situation. Something compels them to make decisions that, in several cases, are financially disastrous. They passed up certain high levels of earnings, probably with the expectation that they would earn even more significant...
Sometimes, well-meaning people plan or take actions that they intend to create a social good or results for the betterment of all, but their actions result in undesirable unintended consequences. The people who were supposed to benefit do not do so and, in many cases, are worse off than before...
We have reached the time of the year when sales managers carefully examine the opportunities forecasted to close by the end of the calendar year. Most sales pros are optimistic and often will forecast an opportunity to close by year-end, even if they only had one conversation with the buyer. Most...
What is the “best” sales presentation? How can it be defined or characterized? Is it a flawless presentation, perhaps utilizing the most up-to-date technology designed to awe the audience? And one with no technological glitches, like a poor internet connection or mysterious pauses? Or one with large, readable graphics? Or the slickest?...