Monthly Archives: November 2009

Sales Coaches, Help Your Sales Team Change Their Definition of Winning For most salespeople selling is a zero sum game. In other words, if I get the appointment, I win! Whereas, if I don’t I lose! If I get the sale I win, If I don’t I lose! Winning at sales for many salespeople is far too black and white. The problem with this way of competing is that one is always bound to lose far more than win. And pretty soon after a whole bunch of losses, one’s self talk begins the negative downward spiral. Pretty soon we are … Read more

Sales Management: What is your team telling your sales prospects? There’s an old cliché which says that “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” In truth, when it comes to winning or losing sales we as sales leaders, for the most part, don’t really know either about our salespeople. In sales management, we neither know what our people are really asking or saying, nor how they are asking or saying it (unless we are in retail or managing a telemarketing sales team). In my experience as a sales strategist and sales management coach I have witnessed many … Read more

Part 4.3 – Selling Skills – Knowledge Power: Product Knowledge In the previous 2 newsletters we mentioned the 3 types of knowledge that professional salespeople must have if they are ever to reach their potential for themselves and for their organizations they sell for. At the risk of repeating myself one last time, they are: 1. Product knowledge 2. People persuasion skills 3. Self knowledge management. Finally today we will scrutinize the important role that product knowledge (P.K.) plays in selling. We will look at the key elements required to become proficient in P.K. to ensure that you build confidence … Read more

Part 4.1 – Selling Skills Knowledge Power: Self Knowledge Management There are 3 types of knowledge that professional salespeople must have if they are ever to reach their potential for themselves and for their organizations they sell for. Product knowledge People persuasion knowledge Self knowledge management. Most salespeople and managers alike will agree that product knowledge is essential for selling. In fact, the bulk of the dollars invested in training salespeople are typically invested in the area of product knowledge. Whilst the bulk of time and training dollars are invested in this area, in fact it is the other two … Read more

Part 2 – Selling Skills – How relevant is your current sales strategy?   Your selling skills won’t mean much unless you also have a sales strategy behind you. In the last newsletter, the first one in this series, we discussed the importance of having the “right people on the bus”. I also mentioned the exciting opportunity you have in front of you right now, without having to rush out and hire rainmakers and experienced sellers; because with the right tools and strategies, you can develop your own team of highly process directed and motivated sellers yourself. As a sales … Read more

Sales Management Tactics for Customer-Centric Selling Here’s a question for you…how do you avoid a premature presentation before you’ve been able to clearly identify a prospect’s needs? Three times in the last 10 days I have been asked by different clients to help them with the following dilemma. See if it resonates for you and your sales team. Let’s say that you finally get the appointment. You finally get in to see that prospect you’ve been hunting down for months. After some friendly chit chat and rapport building it’s time to get down to business and you now move into … Read more

The 3 sales management strategies that you as a sales leader must do to get sales firing again There is no question that in these economically uncertain times, sales leaders will need to get a whole lot smarter and more shrewd if they are going to keep their existing customers and they are going to need to be a whole lot more crafty if they are to win the slim pickings that are still out there to be had! That being said there are some fundamental sales management strategies that when implemented are guaranteed to generate sales within the next … Read more