Mike Anderson, on February 10, 2014
My wife and I recently saw The Wolf of Wall Street. To make a long story short, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a rogue stock broker who’s more interested in his income than in his clients’ well-being. Why do I bring it up? Because early in the movie, Matthew McConaughey makes a cameo appearance as a mentor to DiCaprio’s character, and teaches him an age-old cliché about negotiation: Jim Hopes, on February 5, 2014
Our recently published report, The Biggest Challenges of Media Salespeople and Sales Managers, reveals the findings of a study we completed late in 2013. The questionnaire offered sales managers a list of 14 current issues they may be wrestling with, and asked them to select their three biggest—the three problems that, if solved or even partially solved, would make the biggest difference in their operation. Too many products and services to sell popped up near the top of that list, as Management Challenge #3.
Mike Anderson, on February 4, 2014
It might be those first few moments after you get back to your car following an important presentation. It could be while you’re riding to the airport after a critical needs analysis. Perhaps it is those minutes that immediately follow a conference call or an online meeting where a big renewal was discussed.
Yes, every client-facing meeting is critical, whether it happens online, on the phone, or face-to-face. The time you spend with any target or key account is likely to impact your top line revenue, and therefore, your income. But those minutes are mostly important to a specific sale or client relationship. Reflecting on how the meeting went—the first five minutes after you’ve met with a target or key account—are important to your career. Because you’re using this experience to get better, build on success, and note mistakes so you can avoid them in the future. Bottom line: You’re improving the very next meeting or client interaction you have.
Brian Hasenbauer, on February 3, 2014
Recently I was having a discussion with my colleagues about how Dynamic Website Personalization (DWP) is changing inbound marketing and how it's going to change the way that websites are designed and leads are captured and nurtured. This conversation was prompted by a great article from the folks at Entrepreneur.com
about how websites are being designed with the user experience taken into consideration to create a more personalized experience based upon customer life cycle, industry or other criteria that is deemed important.
Demrie Henry, on January 31, 2014
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Absolutely! And here’s why. He’s a competitor; he has a deep desire to win and is not afraid to work hard. He has intense focus, he is smart, and he is dedicated and committed to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals and perform at his best. He understands the incredible value of his team and his teammates trust him. He has overcome many obstacles throughout his career and is now the NFL’s top product endorser, earning $12 million annually off the field from companies like Reebok, Buick, Wheaties, DirectTV, Gatorade and Papa John’s… which means he has also earned the trust and respect of millions of people across the globe.Mike Anderson, on January 30, 2014
This is going to sound way over-simplified, but that’s okay. The way to avoid a sales wreck is the same way you avoid a crash on the highway: Avoid distractions, pay attention to the highway signs, and follow the rules. In sales, you and the client establish the rules early and often (this is called contracting and partnering). But you also have to avoid distracted selling, and pay attention to the signs your prospect or client is giving you. Even when you’re supposed to be the one who’s presenting.
You would never get almost all the way to your destination, and decide it would be okay to stop steering your car. You can’t just focus on the instruments of your dashboard and hope to arrive alive; you have to keep your eyes on the road, and even drive for the other guy, at times, to make sure you get where you want to go.
John Henley, on January 28, 2014
Take off your seller hat just for a minute and put on your buyer (consumer) hat. You walk into a Verizon store to check out all the new tablets available. The salesperson calls your number (because you had to wait your turn). Instead of asking you about how you plan to use the tablet and showing you some of the options available on the two contrasting tablets they think are most suitable to your needs, they take a different approach. They ask you how much you make, how you currently spend your money and start to brainstorm things you might consider doing without so you can afford the tablet. That would be an odd approach don't you think?
Beth Sunshine, on January 27, 2014
If you are familiar with The Center for Sales Strategy, then you know that our reason for being is “Turning Talent into Performance.” It’s at the core of everything we do.
Showing up to work with that clear purpose every day, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the only way you can effectively turn talent into performance is if the talented people you are working with are also engaged in the process. Otherwise, it’s a losing battle.
Alina McComas, on January 24, 2014
Over the past couple of months, I have read numerous blogs and articles regarding the increased focus from marketers on proving ROI in 2014. The stories have ranged from specific advertising platforms to overall marketing efforts. The demand to prove a positive return on investment is high and difficult. Part of the challenge is that while marketers are looking at individual metrics for each platform they are utilizing, the consumer is typically being influenced and engaging with multiple platforms in their path-to-purchase.
So how do you help to prove ROI in a world where consumers are more connected than ever?
Beth Sunshine, on January 22, 2014
Our recently published report The Biggest Challenges of Media Salespeople and Sales Managers turned up a finding that surprised nobody around here!
When media sales managers were offered a list of 14 challenges that might give them sleepless nights… 14 problems that, if even partially solved, would generate a big payoff, they voted more often for Finding great salespeople than for any other item on the list. Indeed, this #1 finisher scored more than half again as many votes as the #2 finisher.
