We’ve probably all experienced it at least once: that big deal we had “in the bag” falls through at the last minute, leaving us feeling like we’ve been sucker-punched in the gut. Already basking in the afterglow of our hard work, feeling pretty good about ourselves, we suddenly realize how we’ve Continue Reading
January 22, 2015 By
The Art and Craft of Following Up
There’s something uniquely challenging about following up with clients after a sales presentation. If we do it too soon, we risk coming across as overly eager to pocket a commission. On the other hand, if we wait too long, we risk being undermined by a competitor who happens to catch our customer at Continue Reading
November 4, 2014 By
Translating Sales Excuses into Sales Performance
It’s human nature to make excuses. When things don’t go quite the way we want or expect, our first instinct is not to self-critically evaluate what we could have done better or differently. We blame other people or circumstances beyond our control instead. We’d make more sales if only our prices Continue Reading
September 19, 2014 By
Why It Still Pays to be Persistent
When you live in breath the life of a complex sales, it’s so (unfortunately) easy to play the ‘what if game’... always contemplating if you’re rubbing the prospect the wrong way that he or she will flip the switch and ruin the deal. I’m here to break it to you that not only is being persistent Continue Reading
February 1, 2014 By
How Some Simple Math Can Improve Sales Efficiency
How do we measure the efficiency of our sales process? Is it just about the money we’re bringing home at the end of the day, or is there more to consider? How can we be sure we’re getting the maximum return on our time and effort? Smart salespeople know that, even when business seems to be Continue Reading
January 16, 2014 By
If You’re In Sales – You Better Be Asking These Questions
Like so many sales techniques, knowing when and how to ask questions with prospective customers is more like an art than a science. Asking the right questions can build rapport, demonstrate competence, and customize a sales approach to a particular customer’s needs. Asking the wrong questions, on Continue Reading
November 25, 2013 By
A No-Nonsense Approach to Customer Objections
We’ve all been there before. A prospective customer has been listening attentively as we explain our product’s features and cutting-edge advantages over our competitors. We’re CONVINCED our product is a perfect solution for the customer’s problem, and WE KNOW we just delivered the smack down of all Continue Reading
November 4, 2013 By
Four Ways to Make Cold Calls Less Terrifying and More Effective
Let’s start out by saying that if you don’t like cold calling… sales aint for you. It’s ironic because cold calls definitely ranks among the most dreaded of all sales responsibilities. Even under the best of circumstances, they’re tedious, difficult, and emotionally draining. Ineffective cold Continue Reading
October 7, 2013 By
Humanizing Your Sales Relationships – Some Common Sense Advice
One of the most fundamental laws of business is that healthy sales drive profitability. We know that. We also know that healthy customer relationships are what sustain those sales and generate new referrals. Yet for some odd reason, whenever some of us go into “sales mode,” we seem to forget that Continue Reading
September 16, 2013 By
The Counter-Intuitive Wisdom of Pitching Your Expertise
The most valuable asset we have to offer our customers is our particular expertise in solving their problems. Others may have the same technology, but we have the superior application. Others may offer the same service, but we do it better, with greater efficiency. Or perhaps we’re in one of those Continue Reading
July 12, 2013 By
The Subtle Art of Closing the Deal
It would be difficult to overstate the importance of mastering “the art of the close.” You can get every other aspect of your sales process perfect, but if you fumble the closing stage, all that effort is wasted. You lose a client. They miss out on your solution. How can we do better at Continue Reading
