The scene and the script are very common. A sales manager is approached by a sales rep pushing strongly for the pursuit of a large enterprise account opportunity. “It’s right in our power swing”, “We’re positioned to win”, and “It’s ours to lose” ring out in the pitch. Often, after some discussion around performance, the ... Read Post

Building a top-notch sales force is a dynamic endeavor. It requires a solid foundation of leadership, market focus, sales process and ongoing management. Many organizations have some – but not all – of these critical components in place and wonder why results may be lacking. Is your sales force ‘fit’? Are your sales people thriving ... Read Post

If you’re a member of a sales force, or in sales management, there is always practical information you must know. You need to know as much as possible about your own products. You need to have a firm grounding about your particular industry and market. Today especially you must have as much insight as possible ... Read Post

We recently interviewed top sales expert, bestselling author and leading sales and executive coach Deb Calvert on several topics of her expertise, including her new book Stop Selling and Start Leading. The interview gives some fascinating insight into sales questions, teamwork, and the amazing power of leadership in sales. 1. The name of your company ... Read Post

A variety of industries use inside sales as a popular high-growth sales model. According to Harvard Business Review, 46 percent of high-growth tech companies are expanding through inside sales, as compared to 21 percent growing through outside sales teams. The reasons for inside sales (SDR/BDR) team growth vary, but one fact is clear: buyers seem ... Read Post

Why is there so much talk about sales competition? How to build a competitive strategy, tips for analyzing your competition, how to attain a cost leadership position against your competitors and how to outsell your competitors pervade the thinking of most business people. The underlying strategic intent is to build barriers to competitive entry; erect ... Read Post

I’m going to tell you something you’ll never hear your sales manager say: “Don’t try so hard.” Many salespeople think the harder they try the more they’ll succeed. It rarely works out that way and I want to explain why. It’s very important for salespeople to find a balance between making effort and over-trying to ... Read Post

Theory of Constraints (ToC) is a management principle that states that output is essentially limited by one constraining process and by resolving this constraint, you may increase your output. This is another way of saying that you are only as good as your weakest link. A sales team works with a number of constraints – ... Read Post