When people write about the fact that less than fifty-percent of salespeople reach their quota, they often intimate that salespeople are somehow getting worse. Maybe they are getting worse, perhaps they aren't. But if they are failing, pointing…

In major account sales, you can win a new client that requires the upfront effort of standing up the account. The larger and more important the client, the more time it takes. The more complex the solution, the more your presence is necessary,…

It is rare that I disagree with Dave Brock, and perhaps more frequent that he disagrees with me. When we disagree, it is mostly by degrees, and this time maybe only a slight bit more.

Dave’s post is titled Stop Focusing on the Top of the…

Over time, no matter how good you are, no matter how much you care, you will lose clients.

You will lose some clients through no fault of your own.

• You will be doing everything right, and they will change their strategy, eliminating the…

You have three choices when it comes to starting your week.

Begin With Your Existing Opportunities

You can start the week in your existing pipeline, either working forward or backwards. If you decide to work backwards, you start at the…

You Are Stalled

You’re working a big deal through your pipeline. Things are going well–even better than expected. You have the ability to create tremendous value for this dream client. And they appreciate what you do and how you do it. If…

The hungrier you get, the more willing you are to eat something that isn’t really good for you. If you’re starving, all of your discipline around eating goes straight out the window, doesn’t it? That’s why you’re not supposed to wait until you are…

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. I've been compensated to contribute to this…

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…

There’s so much written now about how the imbalance of power between buyer and seller in the past was due to the fact that the seller had more information. Allegedly, because of the free flow of information on the Internet, your clients are now…