You did it. You got the meeting that you've been pursuing for months with a prospective client, business partner, or investor. You've got your pitch rehearsed and your presentation rocks. You've got your best outfit back from the cleaners. You are ready to go. But hang on a second. There's something else you can do - that you should do - before you go into that meeting. What do you know about the person you are about to meet? There's a saying that most sales are won or lost before the conversation ever starts, and that applies to all sorts of business meetings. Spend some time researching the person you are about to talk to. Going … [Read more...]
Your Passion is A Problem (When You’re Selling)
Passion is good - especially when you are running the show. When I meet a business owner or entrepreneur who isn't excited and confident about what they are doing, I know that the company is heading for tough times. There are many challenges for small businesses. Sometimes the leader's enthusiasm and optimism are the key to finding success at the end of the day. Even though it's good to talk to your customers, employees, and partners with passion, though, it can quickly become a liability when you have to sell yourself or your company. It sounds counter-intuitive, but if your main sales tactic is to share your excitement about what you … [Read more...]
Following this Old-School Rule Will Make You Better at Social Selling
Have you been completely overwhelmed by social media yet? It seems like there's a new platform popping up every day. The established sites are constantly adding features. And the experts keep telling you a new way that you are supposed to be using it. There are always new widgets, new buttons, and new functions. It would be tempting (and easier) to write off social media as a fad...if it wasn't an immensely powerful business tool. Sure, you might not need every website de jour. But underneath the sometimes confusing veneer are new and exciting ways for you to connect with your clients, colleagues, and prospects. The Foundation of … [Read more...]
How to Help Your People Fail
When I was a young sales manager, one of the most challenging parts of my job was having 1-on-1 meeting with my sales reps to assess their performance. It was easy to do when they were rockin'. I'd give them a few pointers and some words of motivation and send them back out. But when they weren't doing well it was another story. It can be really hard to fail. It can be even harder to watch someone fail. It's the worst when you have to watch people fail... and you're their boss and the one who is supposed to address that failure. Manage Through Failure I think this is why so many competent individuals are such struggle as managers and … [Read more...]
The Sales Truth I Learned Managing a Band
When I was a younger (and hopefully cooler) man, I played in a band called The Jesters. I started the band with my friend Jim, and we split the duties - he would work on the music and I would get us gigs. Here's what I learned that would help me sell in every other part of my career: Bar and club owners didn't care about our music - they cared about getting people in the door who would drink beer and eat food. Focus On Their Needs Being a great band was important to us. We spent a lot of time practicing and writing songs. We worked on our stage show to make sure that our fan base would grow and people would come out and see us. But for … [Read more...]
3 Keys to Creating a Great Sales Contest
I've coached a lot of sales managers and leaders on how to drive business with their teams. One of the most common tools they reach for is the sales contest. They tend to think that a good sales contest is the panacea for all their issues - that the only thing keeping their people from having explosive results is a mix of excitement and fear... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVQPY4LlbJ4] Most sales contests, however, fail to create meaningful change. They usually end up rewarding top performers (who would have produced great results anyways) and demotivating those on the team who could really use the help. Too often they end … [Read more...]
5 Rules from Zombie Survivors for Business Development
An undead zombie is shambling towards the lone survivor, arms outstretched, low moan coming from its chest. The plucky hero raises a machine gun in an attempt to ward of the attack and fills the zombie full of lead...but the zombie keeps coming! Because the hero didn't shoot it in the head! And everyone who's seen a zombie movie knows that the brain is a zombie's weak point! ...It's frustrating to watch the characters in a zombie movie make the same fundamental mistakes over and over again. It's just as frustrating to watch sales people and business development reps fail to take care of the basics when they meet with prospective … [Read more...]
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