Sales Activities Archives

The Importance of Pipelines

By Jerry Osteryoung | Aug 19, 2016

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…

Win Fast, Lose Faster

By Dave Brock | Aug 5, 2016

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…

Customer Stuck? Not Moving Forward?

By Dave Brock | Feb 26, 2016

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…

The Problem with Pitch Decks

By Dave Brock | Dec 22, 2015

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…

Solving the Customer’s Problem

By Dave Brock | Dec 15, 2015

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…

How to Plan the Most Effective Sales Coaching

By SmallBizClub | Nov 12, 2015

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…

How Do You Stop a Sales Person from Talking?

By Dave Brock | Apr 13, 2015

Sales people love to talk. They want to talk about their company, their products, how their products and services help solve a customer problems. Turn them on, and they won’t stop, questions don’t deter them.

An Embarrassing Business Story I’ve Never Shared

By Ryan Healy | Mar 9, 2015

Today, I’m quite a bit older and hopefully a little bit wiser. I still make mistakes. But I like to think I make fewer of them. And I do my best to minimize the damage when I do make them.

Avoid the 10 Most Common Small Biz Sales Mistakes

By SmallBizClub | Jan 29, 2015

All sales professionals make mistakes from time to time, irrespective of their industry, product, or skill level; and some are more common than the others. However, when it comes to business success, there is little or no room for mistakes because each one comes with a consequence.

Is Holiday Shopping a Canary in the Coal Mine for Retailers?

By Mike Maddock | Dec 18, 2014

Well into the 20th century, miners used canaries as a way to detect methane and carbon monoxide in mines. As long as a canary was singing, all was well. If a canary died, it was time to abandon the mine immediately. It meant the oxygen was running out.