Sales & Motivation

In an article a couple of months ago I mentioned that one of the biggest issues I see when it comes to managing sales teams is a lack of accountability. Because it was only mentioned briefly as one of several issues, I’ve had many people come back to me asking for more on this particular […]

In my article two months ago, I mentioned that any time the subject of relationships comes up and I ask how important they are in the overall sales and business process, I usually get the answer that they are the most important part. I think we all know that the more a prospect or customer

While there are lots of potential obstacles and roadblocks to building a great sales organization, there are several blatant issues that are responsible for about 90% of failures.   The Five Biggest Issues that Derail Sales Organizations   Issue #1: No solid hiring process A solid sales organization starts with solid people. Having solid people

This past week an insurance agency called me for help because they just lost their largest account that they’ve had for the past 24 years. When I asked how that happened, the clear, confident response was, “Price!” The only piece of good news I could glean from this initial exchange was that my gag reflex

These days there seems to be more competition than ever, in addition, the competition seems to be more creative and relentless. Whether it’s the low-price ankle biters, or the large companies with huge marketing budgets, our competitors seem to be everywhere. That being said, we can still win and keep more than our share of

One of the most frustrating aspects of selling is having a great list of potential leads and then being unable to actually get through to and talk to those people. It may be a receptionist with bullet-proof teeth, the person you never seem to be able to get on the phone after the initial contact

Most problems and complaints both outside and inside your company arise from poor communication. Poor communication most often results from either miscommunication or a lack of communication. Below are thirteen steps to ensure you communicate effectively. 13 Steps to Effective Communication 1) Have a clear objective for your communication. The key in this first step

If you’ve been in sales for any length of time, you have more than likely experienced the ebb and flow of prospects in your pipeline from time to time. We all know there will be certain days, weeks, and months that are heavy with appointments, servicing of accounts, and other items that make it difficult

By the time you’re reading this we are about 40% of the way into 2015 and you have a pretty good idea as to what kind of year it’s shaping up to be. If you set some professional and personal goals for the year, how are those working out?   If you’re like most people

While the answer to this question might seem obvious, the top sales success traits aren’t always that simple. In over 27 years in the industry, I’ve seen lots of great salespeople and all of them always have the following eight traits.   The Top Eight Sales Success Traits   Success Trait #1: Laser focus on