People who recently bought from you after scouting the competition are a rich source of information. It’s worth talking to them to see what they can tell you about how your product or service compares to the rest of the market. Ask them if they would explain why they chose you, what strengths they perceived. … Read full article
Negotiating power plays a major role in every type of sales negotiation, whether it’s a labor negotiation, political negotiation, or a buy-sell negotiation. Both the buyer and the seller have power in a negotiation. Power is each side’s perception of its strength or weakness in comparison to the other. This perception of power affects the … Read full article
In this time of economic struggle, creating a unified sales force with a common sales language and single sales message becomes imperative if your company is to achieve its goals. When you bring together different sales cultures and levels of sophistication within a newly-merged organization the result is often reduced sales, erosion of trust with … Read full article
Words of Wisdom from Lou Holtz You must understand they every person you will meet for the rest of your life will ask three questions. Every customer, every spouse and child is going to ask these three questions. It is absolutely imperative that you be able to answer “yes” to each of these three questions. … Read full article
What you are capable of doing is determined by your talent. What you do is determined by your motivation. But how productive you are and how close you come to realizing your true potential will always be determined by the attitude you have. We can’t control what is going to happen to us but I … Read full article
Look for opportunities to show interest in all team members. Ask about their life outside of work. Make an effort to learn about their families, their hobbies, their recent vacation, etc. Inquire but never pry. Keep track of names, dates, and events that are important to them, such as birthdays and anniversaries of employment with … Read full article
Involve your best sales people in hiring decisions. Ask team members to participate in interviewing new-hire candidates, when appropriate. This gives your producer a say in how the team works – a significant involvement in something that truly matters. Make sure you provide pre-training on effective interviewing. Such preparation not only gives team members a … Read full article
The best Sales Managers turn failures into teaching lessons. A failure is a failure only when we don’t learn from it. When people make mistakes, encourage them to share their experiences in order to help others avoid similar problems. This can be a great motivational tool because you focus on learning rather than assigning blame. … Read full article
Listen to others. Listening shows respect… that people and their ideas are important to you. When people know you’re willing to listen, they will share their ideas as well as their frustrations. Listening enables you to build trust, which is essential for creating an elite, high-performance team. Clarify your expectations. Meet with your individual sales … Read full article
Get in the habit of inviting team members to challenge your ideas. Encourage them to constructively (and positively) criticize your plans. Make it okay for people to disagree with you. This lets people know you value their input, and ensures that implemented ideas will be well thought out. By giving your sales people permission to … Read full article