Is a single tweet, YouTube video or Facebook post good intel for selling? Possibly…but it’s far more informative when you look at the aggregated picture. I recently did this and gained some great insight that can be used to facilitate the sales process. While it’s reasonable to assume that not everyone jumped on the social media [...]
Archive for the ‘Sales’ Category
Who Is The Expert On Your Customer?
Posted in Sales, Strategic Selling, tagged Sales, Strategic Selling on December 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
You or your competitor? You or your customer contacts? (The 90/10 rule tends to apply: most people know 90% of what goes on in their department and 10% in the rest of the company). This is a quick blog. In a complex, multi-layered sale, there is a direct relationship to your ability to close the [...]
Confessions Of A First Time Manager
Posted in Management, Sales, Teamwork, tagged Management, Teamwork on September 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Once upon a time there was a new sales manager who used the power of repetition to keep her sane, using a quiet, running mantra: “I love my job, I love my job…” My first days as a sales manager were tough. Well let’s be clear, the first year was tough. If you have read [...]
Performance Metrics: Are You Driving Results Or Are The Results Driving You Crazy?
Posted in Business, Performance Metrics, Sales, tagged Dashboards, Performance Metrics, Sales, Sales Effectiveness, Sales Metrics, Scorecards on September 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Years ago when I was just moving out of sales training and into a sales management role, we brought in a sales program geared to the major account team—a more sophisticated biz dev/account management process. In theory it was great and in practice, it should have been great. The domino effect of creating a discipline [...]
The Work Starts After The Sale Is Completed
Posted in Business, Customer Management, Sales, tagged Business, Customer Management, Sales, Sales Implementation on September 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
When I was a sales rep and I closed a big account, the euphoria generally lasted about a half hour. I’m talking about the BIG deals, the ones with long sales cycles, complex solutions and multiple layers of decision makers. The euphoria ends when the realization of the next steps sets in. For the industries [...]
Can You Make Tough Love Decisions and Salvage Your Customer Relationship?
Posted in Business, Customer Management, Sales, tagged Business, Customer Management, Firing Customers, Price Increases, Sales on September 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I had a discussion recently about the challenges of organizational disconnect when it comes to “tough love” actions with customers. Examples of this would be pricing increases, changes in service parameters or firing customers (for lack of a better phrase). In and of themselves, these are fundamental facts of business but there are implications to longer-term relationships [...]
A Growth Strategy Through M&A Can Impede Sales Growth
Posted in Business, Mergers, Sales, Training, tagged Business, linkedin, M&A, Mergers, Sales, Sales Training, Training on June 1, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Yesterday, while finishing up my Starbucks Venti-Quad, non-fat vanilla latte, I ventured into a conversation about mergers with two of my colleagues. My friend was describing a small company who is struggling with their pricing and business strategy. As it turns out, the company grew through acquisition and thinks that they are leaving money on [...]
Can You Say No To A Customer?
Posted in Business, Customer Management, Sales, tagged Business, linkedin, Sales on May 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Yes. Well, I thought about ending the blog with the word “yes.” Instead, I will keep this post short. Saying “no” to a customer may seem like a callous thing to do but on the contrary, it is the best thing you can do for them, your business, your professional integrity. Saying “no’ may [...]
Selling Is A Team Sport
Posted in Business, Sales, Teamwork, tagged Business, linkedin, Sales, Teamwork on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Sales is often seen as an individual sport, so to speak. Sales people often work remotely and when not in the office, they are in the field making sales calls. It requires a high degree of independence, judgment and initiative. But the most successful sales people are not an island unto themselves, they are team [...]
