How do you manage a Prima Donna? One thing to think about is how the Prima Donna got that way to begin with. Often we sales managers create Prima Donnas by leaving them alone over many months, taking a “hands-off” style (which is a nicer way of saying a lack of management) rather than continued … Read full article
Successful salespeople have a common focus. Customers! If you don’t satisfy your customers, your competition will. As a Teacher in sales, you help your customer implement your solution in such a way that ensures maximum value. When you commit yourself to exceeding your customer expectations, you place service above self and contribute to the success … Read full article
Remember the words of John F. Kennedy, who said, “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” Your goal in selling and negotiating is always to achieve agreements that meet the present and future needs of your customer, your company, and yourself. When your customer makes a commitment to … Read full article
Any time you feel pressure, start asking questions. We’ve developed an effective sequence of questions (below) that can help you explore the thinking behind any demands your customer makes. These questions will also help you gather new information that can put you in a better position to address the customer’s needs. Plus, asking questions of … Read full article
Not all customers practice win-win negotiating. Some buyers use a number of tactics to achieve greater concessions. Sometimes these tactics are just used as ploys to make you feel powerless and other times they reflect the customer’s reality. The skills you have to develop are determining which is which, and knowing how to handle the … Read full article
To maximize your sales potential, you must work hard at creating satisfied customers. By defining and shaping your customers’ expectations, you create a benchmark against which your customers can measure success. Also, you “freeze” your customers’ expectations, at least for awhile, and prevent those expectations from rising. Finally, you give yourself and your teammates a … Read full article
Three Powerful Ways to Ask for Commitment When you’re sure all the issues have been resolved, ask for the buyer’s business. You’ve earned their trust, helped with their recognition of needs, and proven that you and your solution are best. Chances are, your buyer is waiting for you to ask for the business, and you … Read full article
I’ve seen a lot of salespeople try a Reverse play or start maneuvering for a small piece of the overall solution. Most of the time they fail. Why? Because they wait until it’s too late, until after the prospect has essentially made a decision not in their favor. The way to win with our Slow … Read full article
If you sense a competitor is likely to win a sale, an option you can use is to persuade your customer to delay their decision. Usually the “hook” you need to delay the decision is to plant seeds of doubt about the future. For customers, a common mistake made during a buying process is focusing … Read full article
Sales Manager Development While most sales management training is narrowly focused on teaching managers to guide salespeople through a specific sales process, Kevin’s program is much broader. Sales managers will learn why and how to: Eliminate interruptions and free up time for more one-on-one coaching Coach salespeople early in the sales process, not just at … Read full article