I never really went in for poetry at school, but one poem, The Convergence of the Twain by Thomas Hardy, has stuck with me for over 40 years. Here are its opening lines: In a solitude of the sea Deep from human vanity, And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she. Hardy ... Read Post

Before their year end reviews, executive decision makers still have time to make things happen. They not only need to complete unfinished initiatives from their lists in order to get their bonuses and obtain great scores, but may also be seeking promotions and therefore showcasing themselves to management. Many decision makers must also use up ... Read Post

Continuing our series on artificial intelligence in sales, let’s take a look at some of the ways AI is being used today, and how a number of those ways could lead us down the wrong path. I recently ran across a very interesting fact. An artificial intelligence identity, created by an artificial intelligence services company ... Read Post

When it comes to marketing qualified leads (MQLs), how valuable are they to your organization? MQLs are those inbound leads generated by your marketing department, usually by encouraging prospect engagement through your website, live events, blog, webinars, newsletter and other marketing vehicles. MQL lead quality depends on a number of factors. A few of these ... Read Post

Sales success in any organization depends on finding the “imperfect leader” who displays the attributes necessary to sustain winning sales performance over the long term. Imperfect, because they DON’T have balanced skills and competencies; they don’t possess a complete arsenal of leadership qualities. Rather they possess the critical few strengths necessary to consistently win the ... Read Post

In selling, we bundle our accounts into categories – vertical, geographic, by size and other logical groupings. We do this, of course, to be more efficient in winning business. And it makes sense as descriptive information about accounts is always helpful. But what do these groupings tell you about the actual traits and tendencies of ... Read Post

All of the major networks are offering a great service and the opportunities are there...if you are willing to work for them. Read Post

Ta da! Your marketing team just delivered a brand new, spiffy presentation to your sales team. So why, three months later, is no one using it?? Here are just a few of the reasons I hear from salespeople: “It’s not my style. I like to just have a conversation. It’s already out of date. It’s ... Read Post