Telling stories is important in sales. But, not when you’re telling them to your sales boss. For instance, fiction doesn’t strengthen a forecast. As humans, we hate ambiguity. We feel a burning need to make sense out of uncertainty. So, in situations where we don’t have a complete set of facts, we take the limited […]

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 […]

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – General Dwight Eisenhower You’ll notice Eisenhower didn’t say you don’t need a plan. He said the process of developing a plan was essential. It’s crucial to invest the time to think in depth about strategies, tactics and to […]

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 […]

Do you coach using all three levels of discovery and understanding with the sellers on your team? Three? Yes, three. An individual salesperson is really three distinct entities rolled into one: a Person, a Seller and a Competitor. Each of these personas requires a different level of understanding and communication from a manager to help […]

You don’t have to be a manager to be a coach. In my career, some of the best coaching I received was from other sellers; my peers. In addition to helping others, peer coaching is also a great way to learn how to improve your sales skills Want to learn how to take your sales […]

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 […]

Don’t let other people define you. You can achieve success on your own terms. Check out the evaluation of Tom Brady by NFL scouts prior to the NFL draft in 2000. “Poor build, Skinny, lacks great physical stature and arm strength, Lacks mobility and the ability to avoid the rush, lacks a really strong arm, […]

Being busy can create its own “busy-ness.” And distract you from the important things you need to accomplish. As Henry David Thoreau said, “It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” Unnecessary busy work is where precious hours of every day evaporate. David Allen’s […]

I believe reading is still the most effective way to absorb new knowledge. While short form “how-to” posts on LinkedIn can have value, they are necessarily incomplete. They don’t tell the whole story. If you’ve become addicted to getting a quick “how-to” fix on LinkedIn, you’ve probably discovered that you’re missing a lot of context. Like […]

A sales process does not win deals. A seller does. It’s not your sales process that connects with a potential buyer. It’s not your sales technology that activates the interest of a prospect. Your sales process isn’t the one building trust and credibility with the buyer. Your sales tech doesn’t inspire the prospect to take […]

Sales managers often say “Janet wants to be liked by her buyers” as if that were a bad thing. Sometimes it is. However, it doesn’t need to be. Let me explain. If your motivation to be liked by your buyer is that it gives you the warm fuzzies all over from being validated by another […]