You can’t stop at hearing. You have to listen, too. There’s a significant difference between hearing and listening. We use the words interchangeably. Which is a mistake because “hearing” and “listening” have very different meanings. (Just as persuasion and influence mean distinctly different things.) Hearing is an involuntary process that detects noise (or vibrations). Listening […]

What we do in sales is not complicated. We find the story in every one of our buyers. There are many experts who would have you believe that sales in the B2B world is, first and foremost, a process that is freighted with complexity. While process is unavoidable in selling, it does not define it. […]

“I’m sorry.” As a child, were you ever told to tell someone that? My guess is that you were. Do you remember how it felt? You probably didn’t mean it, so it didn’t feel genuine. See, telling someone exactly what to say never really works the way we’d like. It comes off as stale, and […]

Are you antifragile? Or just fragile? How do you react and respond to volatility, randomness and disorder? I’ve been re-reading Nassim Taleb’s book: Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder. People usually believe that resilience is the inverse of fragility. It’s not. As Nassim writes “Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and […]

Selling doesn’t start until you ask a question. This is counter-intuitive to many sellers. Yet, it’s a hard truth that you can’t sell if you’re doing all the talking. If a buyer wanted a one-sided conversation with you about your product, they’d visit your website. Where they’d be able to gather the same information without […]

Remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Goldilocks found the balance between her porridge being too hot and too cold. Sellers are similarly challenged to strike the right balance between being overconfident and being less than confident. Researchers have found that being overconfident has its benefits. It also has downsides that can leave you in the […]

In his great essay, Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “My giant goes with me wherever I go.” We all have giants that tail behind us. Emerson was referring to our giants as the embodiment of our self-doubts, insecurities, timidity and weaknesses. Our giants represent the sum of our vulnerabilities. We feel the burden of these […]

Can we stop with the “relationships aren’t important in sales” BS? You have a relationship with your buyer whether you want one or not. Stop conflating relationships with friendships. These are not the same. A relationship does not require friendship. A quick definition of relationships: The way in which two or more people are connected. […]

Not that type of time zone. I’m talking about a time zone for “change.” Do you have a prospect on your target account list that seems like a perfect fit for your product but you’re not getting anywhere with them? Do you wonder why you aren’t making progress? Perhaps, you’re not in the same time […]

You’re in the midst of an initial sales conversation with a buyer. You think things are going well. You feel like you’re making a solid connection. Then suddenly you aren’t and you don’t know why. One of the easiest ways to derail a connection with a buyer is to inadvertently make the conversation all about […]

Self-reliance is an essential trait for a seller. In my mind, maybe the most important trait a seller can possess. It reflects an individual’s optimism and belief in their capacity to achieve great things. It’s in danger of being drowned in the sea of conformity that is sweeping sales. Here’s what self-reliance sounds like. “No one […]

Studies from sales think tanks and consultants consistently shows that ramp time is dangerously long and inefficient for most businesses. Join us for this on-demand webinar where Stephanie Sullivan, Director of Growth Operations at ChowNow, will reveal best practices and real-life examples about how she was able to leverage new technologies to help new reps […]