In sales, as in life, there will be times when you encounter people who throw up (unconscious) barriers or resistance even when your intent is to be helpful – to sell them something that could dramatically increase their business results or to improve their personal condition.
Read moreInconsistent Sales Results? Here’s Why
When I ask that question to most CEOs, sales leaders and sales learning and development professionals, I’m usually met with a questioning look and then an explanation of adopting best in class sales process, methods, content or the latest selling fad.
Read moreSales Leaders! How’s Your Forecast Looking?
If you’re honest with yourself, deep down you know they never will – despite your salespeople protestations and best efforts.
That’s because they aren’t qualified properly and your customer doesn’t see or feel the value in buying from you.
What Do You Need to Give Up to Grow?
What’s the ONE thing you can STOP doing that will transform your sales results or life?
Back in 2013, I had a truly transformative experience that changed both my life and sales results.
CEO's & Sales Leaders! Can You Teach Curiosity to Salespeople?
Over the years, I’ve often heard CEOs and sales leaders lament that they wish that their salespeople were more curious. Perhaps you wish that, too?
Read more4 Reasons Why Companies Struggle to Grow Sales, Starting with the CEO...
So many businesses struggle to generate enough new sales to take their growth to the next level…and it doesn’t have to be this way.
Throughout my career, first as an inside sales rep (SDR), new business field sales rep, sales leader, executive and finally as a consultant and advisor, I’ve seen the same issues at nearly every company I’ve worked at and consulted with, small or large.
Read moreCEO's to Salespeople: How to Answer, "So, What Is It You Do?"
So, you’ve been let loose at a conference or are manning your company’s stand at an exhibition.
You’re looking sharp. Hair recently cut, shoes polished or heels just high enough and your favourite suit or outfit makes you shine with confidence. You look every inch the successful salesperson, head of sales or CEO.
That is until someone walks onto your stand or starts making small talk with you in the line up for the buffet and innocuously asks, “So, what is it that you do?”
Read moreDoes Your Job Title Make People WANT to Respond?
If your salespeople are involved in prospecting for new business and they use email as part of their outreach to new contacts, you may want to take a close look at their email signatures – specifically their job title.
Does their job title establish peer to peer credibility with the person you want them to speak or meet with, or does it, like most of the sales teams I work with, sabotage their prospecting effectiveness and results?
Read moreInside Sales Leaders! STOP Calling Potential Customers TARGETS
Recently, I watched a video delivered by an inside sales expert. He teaches a LOT of leading-edge content that will be creating a great deal of value for his customers.
BUT, and I use the word intentionally, I believe he is unconsciously sabotaging the results that his SDRs and potential customers will be getting because of the words he uses to describe potential customers – aka “targets.”
Read moreCEOs and Sales Leaders, How Is Your Offering Different?
Last week, I wrote an article – CEO! Sales Are Struggling Because of YOU! – on why salespeople often struggle to discover and create customer value because of the way YOU talk about your products, services and solutions – what they are vs. what they do specifically for your customers.
Read moreCEO, Sales Are Struggling Because of YOU!
In the course of my sales growth advisory, training and coaching engagements over the last ten years, it’s become apparent to me that much of the responsibility for sales organizations that struggle lies at the feet of the company’s most important salesperson: you – the CEO.
Read moreCan You Do What Your Sales Team Does?
If you’re a parent, you’ll know that your kids model what they see you doing and what they hear you say – not necessarily what you tell them to do.
The same applies if you’re a CEO or sales leader – your salespeople will model the behaviours they see, hear and experience from you habitually.
Read moreHow to Get Meetings With C-Level Executives
Many of my clients hire me because they want more meetings or @bats.
Those with a more strategic orientation choose to work with me because they want to execute a competitively distinct prospecting and selling motion that starts top-down – with the CEO. They do this because they want more quality pipeline, faster sales cycles, bigger deals and more wins.
Read moreSales Leaders! Competition or Status Quo?
Perhaps your sales team isn’t struggling to get enough appointments. If so, you’re one of the fortunate ones.
And, are they winning enough opportunities to hit their quota and for you to hit your number?
If you’re losing opportunities to competition, or your potential customer decides to stick with what they already have after speaking with your salespeople, then competition and status quo aren’t your challenge.
Read moreCommon Sales Playbook Errors
Sales playbooks are a common tool used in the onboarding of new sales hires. The intent behind them is sound – to accelerate the time to productivity of new sales hires so that they and the hiring company are successful. Seems to be an obvious win/win.
Read moreA Sign Your Salespeople Are Prospecting / Selling Too Low
CEOs and Sales Leaders! If the customer testimonials on your website are from VP, Dir, or Mgr job titles, then your salespeople are prospecting and selling too low.
How do I know?
Read moreHow to Spot an "A" Player in an Interview
Ah, those elusive unicorns! The “A” player salesperson.
Everybody wants them – and there aren’t enough to go around.
So, how can you identify if you’re interviewing an “A” player vs. a good “B” player?
Read moreHow to Increase Sales Success in 2-Steps
If you’re struggling to sell in the sales/martech landscape, you’re not alone. But if you don’t take deliberate and massive action to hold and gain more ground in this industry, you won’t be around for much longer.
Many previously successful sales leaders and salespeople are struggling to sell in a fiercely competitive market characterized by heavy discounting by incumbents, companies big enough to buy share and new entrants with exciting new offerings. And potential customers who are not responding to prospecting messages.
Read more