Your Professional Development Is Not Your Company’s Business

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When you were young, your parents chose your teachers. It is more than likely that they sent you to a school that was chosen because it was close to your house. If you took lessons in music or sports, that decision was almost certainly based on how close you were to your teacher … [Read more...]

The Iron Laws of Sales

There are some laws that cannot be broken no matter how hard you try. Gravity is one of these laws. You may be able to beat it for a short time, but it will relentlessly work to replant your feet on the ground. And it will win every time. Selling has some iron laws that are … [Read more...]

Sales 2.0 Still Doesn’t Replace Sales 1.0

This one is going to sting a little. Actually, a lot. Today I had a telephone conversation with Jeb Brooks of The Brooks Group. Our conversation turned to Sales 2.0 and whether or not those who believe that Sales 1.0 is going to be replaced by Sales 2.0 are indeed … [Read more...]

Why Should I Buy From You?

It is easy to focus on the end game in sales, getting caught up in selling the solution that will help your dream client to overcome their problems or capitalize on their opportunities. But the first thing your prospect has to buy is you. You are the solution! Buying You: … [Read more...]

How To Build Your Confidence in Sales

Build the Success Attributes There is no better—or faster—way to build your self-confidence than to build your competency in the foundational success attributes and the foundational sales attributes. The more you gain in these competencies, the more your confidence … [Read more...]

Is Your Vision of Yourself Big Enough?

Too many people have a vision of themselves that is simply too small. Their vision is limited by what other people think, by what other people believe, or by their limited exposure to people with bigger visions. Small-visioned people lead quiet lives, conforming to the norms of … [Read more...]

Five Questions To Ask As Part of Your Sales Call Planning

Is This The Right Call To Make? Now that you have scheduled your sales call, it seems as if it might be too late to ask this question. It’s not. It is still a necessary question to ask, and it often prevents wasting your time and your dream client’s time. It can also keep … [Read more...]

2 Ways Salespeople Can Negotiate Better

This post isn’t about tactics. There are excellent books on negotiating tactics, including Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and William Ury, and one of my favorites, The Street Smart Negotiator: How to Outwit, Outmaneuver and Outlast Your Opponents by Harry Mills. You should be … [Read more...]

3 Ways to Differentiate Yourself and Your Offering in Sales

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1. Possess the Foundational Attributes The first and most important thing to be able to differentiate is you. It answers the question: “What makes you different, and why should spend time with or buy from you?” There were two comments on this week’s post 2 Ways to … [Read more...]

3 Ways to Improve Your Ability to Diagnose for Salespeople

To diagnose in sales is to be able to discover the root cause of your client’s business problem or challenge. It is the ability to recognize what is undesirable by the signs and the symptoms. But to diagnose is not to prescribe the cure—that is a very different outcome! 1. … [Read more...]

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