The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

It has become almost cliché among professionals who are no longer content with their level of success or income:  “I’m ready to take things to the next level.” 

Okay, so we’re all moving very quickly.  I get that.  You get busy, decide to cut a couple corners, and maybe skip a piece of paperwork here and there.

If you’re a client of The Center for Sales Strategy, this message could be akin to “singing to the choir.” But even the greatest practitioners of customer-focused selling can benefit from a reminder, from time to time.  

If you’re in sales, it is not unusual to run into people (prospects) who tend to focus on the negative. In fact, some of us still run into people who consider the economy to be on the shaky side… as if we are still in the grips of the Great Recession. 

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to sit on the listening-side of a role-play, or act as an observer or manager while an eager account executive makes their pitch, you have likely witnessed that pivotal moment when a flawless presentation slides into pointless monologue.  It is like the rise and fall of a well-orchestrated opera, when the prospect is sending all kinds of positive signals… but the sales person presses on with their argument.  (They have a lot invested in the preparation of this presentation… and they’re going to darn well deliver it.)

Driving to the airport recently, it occurred to me just how sloppy some people have become in the age of distracted driving. I was nearly involved in three different accidents, but was able to swerve away from harm.

At The Center for Sales Strategy, our reason for being is to Turn Talent into Performance.  But some of what we do, you can do for yourself. Just take the time to study what people appreciate about the services and sales efforts you provide. 

I recently had the chance to observe a seller in the process of a needs analysis meeting with a client.  She had clearly prepared exhaustively for the event… with page after page of well thought-out questions.   

You should be jealous of me this week. I received an amazing thank you card from a client for whom I had created a custom sales meeting to help launch an important project. 

A client recently asked me to provide some feedback on his LinkedIn page. With more and more attention being given to social media, and the way it can enhance an individual’s personal marketing efforts, he wanted to make sure he was “looking good.”