Jim Thompson, on November 4, 2013
When I first started selling media, I had a sales manager whose mantra was to always get new business. So one of his expectations was that each week, each seller would make 20 new business calls. Even as a new seller, I knew this was not the best use of my time, so I asked how he would determine these calls would be completed. His solution was that we deliver a business card. Simple enough.
Mike Anderson, on October 30, 2013
Decades ago, I was involved in some emergency response training that—even though I did not pursue a career in the field—sticks with me today. They dropped a group of us off at a road-side ditch where a fake car accident had been staged, complete with actors and dummies representing the victims. The challenge was simple:
“What would you do right here, right now, with what you have to work with?”
What a great question, challenging each of us to improvise… and take action.
We live in an age where there are all kinds of new technologies and tools that are supposed to make our lives easier, our work more productive, and our time more efficient. So it’s easy to want all of those awesome tools! But just as your household budget does not expand with every wish and desire that crosses your mind, your company must invest according to priorities and available resources.
So you can't always have every new computer, tablet, app, or piece of office equipment you’d like. You can’t go to every educational conference you’d like to attend, and you aren’t allowed to donate a bunch of “bonus inventory” to every client who’s asking for a better (no, cheaper) deal.
Here’s how the strongest professionals WON’T respond to those situations (insert whiny voice here):
Mike Anderson, on October 23, 2013
Tomorrow is going to have 24 hours, whether you like it or not. And just as this very hour is slipping by as you read this article, tomorrow’s hours are going to drift away, too. There’s nothing you can do to “manage” time.
LeadG2, on October 17, 2013
You may be in B2B sales, but did you know there are consumer trends that you can use to your advantage? As a Consumer Behavior Analyst, much of my focus is on identifying consumer trends among various industries.
Why? So businesses can better understand how to serve their consumers and ultimately, profit. Let’s not forget, we are all consumers – and it’s not something we can just turn off. Therefore, these trends may apply to consumers of your products and services (your prospects and clients).
Mike Anderson, on October 11, 2013
This week, one of our clients was talking about how she returns to the same car dealership every three years, like clockwork, and orders another upgraded version of the car she loves to drive.
A co-worker turned toward her and said, “You’re not just a customer. You’re an annuity.”
The statement was worth a chuckle, but it really got me thinking. The moment you begin to assume that a Key Account’s spending will always be there—when you start to take it for granted—that’s when the relationship is most at risk.
Long-term relationships can lead to mistakes. For example, you might think, “I’m going to be a few minutes late… but (Bob) will understand, because he knows how I operate.”
Mike Anderson, on October 7, 2013
I recently sat in on a sales presentation where the person doing the pitch spent all of their time looking… wrong. They were looking at their paperwork and, in a sense, reading aloud to the prospect.
Mike Anderson, on October 2, 2013
My wife and I recently bought a lawn tractor from a major big box retail store. It should have been a fun, easy experience, but it turned into a headache. The salesperson who was trying to help us with our purchase was repeatedly interrupted by other store personnel who had a wide variety of problems or questions. At times, other coworkers would interrupt just because they needed to use the young lady’s computer terminal. (Apparently, we were invisible customers or our near-$2,000 purchase was not as important as the other person’s issue.)
Greg Giersch, on October 1, 2013
Most people go through their day telling people what they want to hear. They don’t consider it lying, just coloring the truth to make it more pleasing. As salespeople, you might color the truth about why you want an appointment. What if today, you told the client the real reason you want to meet with them? What if for one day, like the character played by Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, you had to tell the truth? Would they be more, or less likely to want to meet with you?
Dana Bojcic, on September 30, 2013
Is your Rookie seller screwing up? We recently added a new puppy to our family, and when deciding which puppy to get we followed all the right selection steps. We carefully considered the most important characteristics and traits to us, and found the perfect puppy for our family. She doesn’t shed, she is the right size, and personality wise she is fitting right in… so why is my perfect puppy peeing on the floor?
Emily Estey, on September 25, 2013
