Does Your Sales Team Need “More Cowbell”?

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Recently I watched the famous Saturday Night Live skit “More Cowbell,” one of the Top 10 best skits of all time on SNL. It originally aired on April 8, 2000 and if you haven’t seen it lately or at all, watch it here. The skit was a spoof on what was offered up as the … Read full article

What Sales Managers Can Learn from a Great Basketball Coach

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Like many people, I couldn’t help but follow the exploits of the Villanova Wildcats in the most recent NCAA basketball tournament. And along with the rest of America, I was thrilled by the last-second 3-point shot that won Villanova the national championship. Their achievement impressed me so much that I decided to study up on … Read full article

What to Say to Your Demotivated Sales Rep

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One of the biggest challenges sales managers face is what to say to a rep who has become demotivated and is stuck in a rut. This is the salesperson who has, in the past, been a good producer and valuable team member, but who has recently developed a bad attitude, low will, and their production … Read full article

4 Crucial Coaching Questions for Pre Call Planning

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In my most recent blog, I wrote about the perils of doing only (or primarily) performance reviews with reps, where you look at numbers after the fact. To see improved results, you have to get involved with their sales process much earlier on. That means being a better coach before they pick up the phone … Read full article

2 Essentials for Sales Coaching Success

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How a Good Sales Coach Gets Better

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Often times, I have conversations with sales managers who are looking in the mirror. They feel comfortable that they can help their reps improve, but wonder how they do the same thing for themselves. What can they do to improve themselves? Here are three tips: Check your commitment Think about a great coach in your … Read full article

Sales Managers’ Biggest Mistake Will Amaze You!

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Why Many Top Salespeople Don’t Get Better

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Whenever I ask sales managers to describe their approach to coaching their highest producers, they almost uniformly have the same answer: hands-off! They tell me: “I may get involved when a big deal is nearing to close, but otherwise if a peak producer is doing well, why would I want to mess with a good … Read full article