In our previous post, we discussed how to see the warning signs that your prospective client is in talks with your competitors. This post is going to focus on changing their minds and swaying their decision towards your solutions. We call it running a reverse play. Every football fan will know a reserve play when … Read full article

Losing the first mover advantage on sales call is a tough spot to find yourself in. This is the typical case when you receive an RFP from a client. But all is not lost! These situations can be turned to your advantage but it’s very important to first realize that you aren’t the only cook … Read full article

Effective sales managers are able to adapt their coaching approach to the needs of each salesperson on their team. And to do that effectively it’s important for coaches to understand the stages of development, or what is commonly referred to as a “learning curve.” As a salesperson progresses through this learning process your coaching approach … Read full article

Most sales managers recognize how important sales coaching is for helping their salespeople achieve high levels of performance and sustain good results. They want to know what they can do so that they can become more effective sales coaches. Here are four “best practice” tips I give them. 1. Set standards BEYOND minimum acceptable levels.  … Read full article

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A few years back a leading office products company surveyed its 1,500 B2B salespeople, asking them to rate how well their sales managers did in 80 categories. Their findings suggest a lot about what salespeople think their sales managers need to do differently to accelerate team success. Sales managers’ #1 highest-rated item out of 80  … Read full article

No professional sports team would think of competing without a coach who knows what they’re doing.  Most importantly, pro teams don’t assume that just because someone is a great player that he or she would also make a good coach. Yet the standard in the sales profession seems to be the exact opposite: it’s assumed … Read full article

At our sales seminars we always begin by asking the audience two important questions. First, “What are the steps of your selling process?” Here, we get clear, concise answers. Most salespeople can describe in detail the steps of their sale. While answers vary from one salesperson to another and from one company to another, the … Read full article

Last  week I took  a  golf lesson from my favorite instructor. He’s my favorite pro because when I take a swing he sees at least a half dozen flaws. But then he gives me just one suggestion, and that one suggestion solves many of my flaws. This is a great model for coaching, one that I … Read full article

Ever wonder what your salespeople think about your coaching style? Recently, I asked a group of experienced salespeople “What are the most ineffective aspects of sales coaching that you have encountered?” Here are four of their answers, along with some practical solutions: “My sales manager doesn’t follow-up.” There is perhaps no more important step in … Read full article