#sales advice Tag

Why “Do Nothing” Is Your Toughest Competitor in Enterprise Sales Automobile dealers know a painful truth: when a customer says, “I’ll think it over” and walks out, they seldom come back. That’s why dealers pull out every tactic imaginable—stalling by keeping your keys, bringing in the sales manager, applying wave after wave of pressure. They understand that the most significant risk isn’t losing you to another dealership. It’s losing you to indecision. That same silent assassin—the decision to do nothing—is what enterprise sales professionals face every day. In my book, Above Quota Performance, I argue that the #1 competitor isn’t another company....

19 August, 2025

A key decision-maker may ask, "Why should I purchase your product or service?" during or after the sales presentation. This question presents an opportunity to convey the concise value proposition. Although this inquiry can disrupt the flow of a presentation, it can be advantageous if approached in a constructive manner. Rather than interpreting this question as confrontational, sales pros should view it as an inquisitive challenge—an opportunity to clarify the rationale for further engagement with your company. Assure the buyer that you appreciate their question and are not offended. The question "Why should I purchase your product?" is usually not intended as...

12 August, 2025

I am a big fan of Major League Baseball and specifically of the Chicago Cubs. Have you ever noticed that many offensive rallies happen after one team has two outs on its opponent?  My wife has repeatedly pointed this out to me, and it’s true. An analyst examined data on baseball games for 2019 and found that an astonishing 37.5 percent of all baseball runs are scored after two outs, compared to 24.9 percent with no outs and 37.6 percent with one out.1 Why is that? Do pitchers relax more when there are two outs? Or do the batters improve their...

29 July, 2025

Pizza is my favorite food, although I have had to reduce the number of occasions that I dine on it due to my recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. I enjoy all styles of pizza, including thin crust, stuffed crust, Detroit-style, New York-style, and Neapolitan. My favorite is pepperoni pizza. Since I grew up and live in Chicago, I especially like Chicago deep-dish style pizza, a style unique to the Windy City. Did I catch your attention with my opening? I must have because you are still reading. So, what does this have to do with sales? It’s all about quickly relating...

23 July, 2025

After the announcement of our company’s acquisition, a sales pro began packing his belongings and would quickly exit the office. He previously worked for Dun & Bradstreet, which acquired our company. Given his previous experience with the acquiring company, where he misbehaved upon leaving after his employment was terminated, he anticipated that he might not be retained and began preparing to leave immediately. (He had also lied on his application and did not disclose this to us.) Throughout my career, I have worked under various managers and in multiple companies. I worked for managers who were incompetent, lazy, mean, unreasonable, terrible,...

30 June, 2025

Here is the scenario: You developed a lead into a qualified opportunity, held meetings to demonstrate your value proposition, answered questions, arranged customer visits, and crafted a return-on-investment case that impressed the Economic Buyer. The buyer's interest grew, leading to calls for more information, workshops, contract requests, and training queries. They analyzed your solution, asked their questions, and examined the alternatives. Then, you were informed that your solution was selected from among the several they were considering. However, the deal suddenly stalled, your contact is not returning calls, and the opportunity remains open.  Has this happened to you? Your contact informed...

06 June, 2025

When pursuing a prospect in the sales cycle, it might seem advantageous if there is no competition. Indeed, discovering a lead and completing the sales process without the threat of a competing supplier can be less stressful, as no competitors are highlighting potential shortcomings of your company or product. Such scenarios are uncommon and should be celebrated when they occur. This has become even rarer since the pandemic, which has made access to prospects more challenging. However, competition can sometimes be beneficial in closing an opportunity. This may sound counterintuitive, so allow me to elaborate. An essential aspect of ensuring that time...

06 June, 2025

Understanding Economic Cycles Economic cycles, comprising phases of growth or expansion and contraction or recession, are a fundamental aspect of the financial landscape. These cycles are a natural occurrence in all free economies, influencing how corporations navigate their operations to optimize profits and efficiencies. The U.S. economic cycle typically spans about five and a half years, although it can vary between eighteen months and ten years. Good times lead to difficult times, and vice versa. The stock market is dissimilar to the economic cycle, although they often experience similar behavior, as investors' beliefs in the future economy and company profits influence...

06 May, 2025

Have you ever walked into a meeting where one person dominates, trying to prove they know more than everyone else? And that you don’t know anything? It’s unwise to challenge them head-on. Handling Mr or Ms “Smarty Pants”: Navigating the Know-It-All Factor in Sales Every salesperson encounters brilliant evaluators eager to prove their expertise, often at your expense. They do not hate you or your company. It's usually an ego issue—they need to show off in front of peers. They rarely act this way in one-on-one conversations. Their sharp intellect and relentless questioning can derail your presentation and threaten your sale if...

28 April, 2025

I recently received a call from a sales professional seeking assistance with her strategy to beat her primary competitor, referred to here as ACME, on a significant sales opportunity. ACME frequently emerged as a finalist in many of her sales opportunities, compelling her to exert considerable effort to secure the sale. During our discussion, I inquired about her approach to competing against her top competitor. She responded: "What do you mean? I just informed you that ACME, whom we have been discussing, is my top competitor." I clarified that while ACME was a formidable competitor, it was not her foremost...

14 April, 2025
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