Don't tell me what you think the market is going to do. Show me what's in your portfolio. - Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

A friend of mine was trying to hire a sales training company to help him improve his sales. He looked at several companies, and in…

The idea that "sales is a numbers game" contains an absolute truth worth observing. The truth is that selling requires action or "activity" if you prefer. All things being equal, more activity is better than little—or no—activity. But activity…

There is tremendous value in outcomes-based thinking. One of the reasons people struggle to produce the results they're capable of is that they lack goals, and a focus on the outcome. For example, maybe you want to win a new deal. But you don't…

There are no outcomes without activity. But the right outcomes require the right activity.

“More activity” is the answer a weak manager uses when they need better results. It’s easier to demand more activity than it is to determine the real…

“Sales is a numbers game,” they say. Then they propose that, “if you want better numbers, just make more calls.” And when low activity is the problem, this might be a reasonably good answer.

But most of the numbers that really matter aren’t…

Your sales manager should never have to manage your activity. Your self-discipline, your goals, and your personal ambition should provide the motivation for your activity. If your sales manager has to look at your activity then you are doing…

Yesterday marked the end of Q1-2010. It went by shockingly fast, didn’t it?

Did you make your quota?

Did you take the plant the seeds that will ensure a successful Q2-2010?

What were the significant changes that you made in your beliefs, your…

Two posts over the last two days have generated some interesting comments and feedback. The first was a post titled Quantify Yourself. This post explained that sales is not a numbers game and suggested that you quantify your own personal sales…