Despite today’s explosion of technology and information, we’re still encountering some of the same selling challenges we did 25 years ago. Knowledge isn’t the problem–it’s the application of knowledge that’s the issue. For example, have you ever seen a salesperson move straight into the “product dump” when she knows she should actually be asking questions ... Read Post

Here is the next in my series on salesperson fitness. Emotional fitness is important for anyone, but is crucially important for a salesperson. Something like 90 to 95 percent of the interactions a salesperson has are negative. Phone calls and emails are ignored. Gatekeepers furiously protect decision makers. Many have a 5 to 10 percent ... Read Post

I wrote recently about the importance of having an effective follow-up system in place to dramatically (and more easily) increase your sales closing rate. Autoresponder emails are a key component to effective follow-up and no follow-up system should be without them. Setting up a series of automated emails not only saves you time, it puts ... Read Post

A TED talk is the most direct route to establishing yourself as a thought leader and expert. Following my own TEDx talk my book sales soared, and I was hearing from speaker bureaus I’d never worked with. Mostly, though, I ended up with a video that truly expresses, as it says on the application, “an ... Read Post

The debate has been widespread on which attribute–confidence or competence–is more critical for the achievement of salesperson success. While there might be some merit in engaging in this debate, there is a simple answer: it takes both in equal measure to succeed. What is a Competent Salesperson? A competent salesperson is one that has learned ... Read Post

Online sales messages are usually just annoying, because it’s almost impossible to address the specific problems or issues actually confronting prospects. Read Post

What makes a good question? In sales, some would say a good question is one that is prepared in advance. Some would say a good question is one that craftily leads the buyer toward the close. Others still would say a good question is the one that forces the buyer to agree with the seller, ... Read Post

Here is the next in my series on salesperson fitness. Of the three different types of fitness we’re addressing in this series (body, mind, spirit or soul), fitness of the body is the most visible. It’s what everyone immediately sees. In that a salesperson is presenting themselves and their products or services directly to someone ... Read Post