A while back, I wrote a column titled “If Looks Could Kill.” In it I noted that researchers have found that the three key elements of effective communication carry the following percentages of importance:
An ecstatic rep came into my office to declare that he had just made the largest single sale of his career. His impressive negotiating skills had resulted in another significant signed contract. His jubilation was...
A sales manager was concerned. He had just finished a day with a sales rep whose vehicle was full of trash. Not surprisingly, there were other issues with this person’s sales credentials. What are the fundamentals...
A major manufacturer’s rep was telling me how thankful he was for the recent improvement in the economy. In the last quarter, he received requests from customers, traveled, and prepared quotes like never before. Interestingly, despite...
No one questions the wisdom of going to a doctor for an annual physical to prevent disease. Early diagnosis, as we all know, enables early intervention and proper prescriptive medical treatment for disease. Since this...
During my 45 years of selling, I have had the privilege of working closely with over 50 sales executives. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have one of the best professionals in the...
As a youth I had a reading problem — dyslexia— a disability not well understood at that time, and although I graduated from college with highest honors, my self-image was very low as a result...
Nothing is more exciting than the privilege of helping a new, aggressive rep start his career in outside sales, but it’s a bit like watching a “bull in the china shop.”
One of our best customers purchased equipment from a competitive on-line supplier, then called us for training. It shouldn’t surprise you when customers hire Millennials (born between 1980 and 1994) and start buying products on-line....
While prospecting with a new sales rep, we made a call on a qualified account that uses products we sell. The prospect wouldn’t enter into a relationship building conversation; he went right to the juggler,...
