Posts Tagged ‘Sales Activities’
When Less is More!
We have a complexity crisis in our organizations. There is no place where it hits harder than in the sales organization. Just think of what sales people face every day: They have the complexity of working with their customers, each struggling with and managing their own complexity. Multiply that by the number of customers, deals,…
Read MoreIs Cold Calling Dead?
In reality, this title is just clickbait. It’s certain to draw all sorts of attention with pundits on either side of the issue. Inevitably each shaping their “pro” or “con” arguments based on what they are trying to sell. And every time we get into this discussion, we immediately dive in taking and defending positions…
Read MoreThe Importance of Pipelines
I am the world’s worst salesman, therefore, I must make it easy for people to buy. ~F. W. Woolworth An entrepreneur had developed a product, and he was doing incredibly well. He was able to afford a great house and employ his entire family, all at very healthy salaries. His business was doing so well…
Read MoreWin Fast, Lose Faster
Inevitably, as I do pipeline and deal reviews, I see sales people hanging onto too many bad deals. The deals are hopeless, the sales person may reluctantly admit it, but stubbornly wants to keep it in their active pipeline. These deals arise for all sorts of reasons, some good, but most bad. There are those…
Read MoreCustomer Stuck? Not Moving Forward?
It’s a common lament among sales people: “I’m trying to close the customer, I can’t get them to move forward! They’re dragging their feet, they just won’t order!” Last week, with several clients, I was doing pipeline reviews. Too many sales people were saying this, slipping their forecasts, slipping their target close dates another month (one becomes…
Read MoreThe Problem with Pitch Decks
I’ve seen thousands of pitch decks. The vast majority are horrible. There’s the corporate vanity deck. It always has a lot of slides. Usually it mentions the customer name in about 3 places, on the cover slide, the second to last slide, and the last slide. The rest of the deck is all about the vendor. You…
Read MoreSolving the Customer’s Problem
Yesterday, I had one of those “Aha” moments. I realized that much of what I’ve been talking about for years has been wrong. Well not completely wrong but off target enough to be significant. I’ve written and advocated about helping customers buy, facilitating their buying process, or even leading them through buying when they don’t…
Read MoreHow to Plan the Most Effective Sales Coaching
The vast majority of sales talent is usually developed in the field, since very few people are able to learn sales techniques simply through education. As a result, most businesses realise the importance of good quality sales training and do their best to deliver it through their own specialized training programs. However, repeated studies have…
Read MoreHow Do You Stop a Sales Person from Talking?
An Embarrassing Business Story I’ve Never Shared
