Decision-makers want to talk with people who are credible information sources. Whether a salesperson or CEO, if you are credible and have valuable information decision-makers want to talk with you. If you have not yet earned personal credibility you will not get a meeting with...
Salesforce Automation (SFA) has been around for many years in various forms. For most of its existence it’s been a tool for large corporations with significant IT budgets and IT staffs. Recently, it was reported by GetApp®, a site that connects businesses with sales management software vendors,...
Hiring successful salespeople is a priority for all companies. In my first week at Hewlett-Packard, Irene Bjorklund (GM Northwest Area) made a comment that has stayed with me throughout my career. Someone had asked her, “How do you know when a person will be successful...
The best salespeople practice productive paranoia, and The Five Abilities guides that focus. They constantly ask themselves if they’re doing enough to beat the competition. “Have we done enough to win?” “Are we delivering better value?” “What have we left undone?”...
Spoiler alert – Money is not a top motivator for salespeople that are consistently great. How to motivate sales people is a common debate among sales managers and compensation specialists. It’s commonly assumed that salespeople are money hungry individuals and that the more you pay them the better they’ll...
Company leaders strive to create positive noise about their offering. They strive to be the topic of positive conversations. They want to create “buzz” for their company and offerings, resulting in heightened visibility and credibility. It’s a bonus when we get to sell for the...
The Pareto principle, or 80/20 rule, is well-known throughout many professions. It states that about 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the effort. This principle applies to sales in the area of opportunity management – 80 percent of our sales comes...
