A notable function a sales manager must master is understanding why sales are won or lost. This is particularly true for large, complex sales opportunities where there may never be another opportunity or, if so, it may be years in the future. In all likelihood this opportunity had a high profile within the company and ... Read Post

We tend to think of creativity and productivity as being at odds with one another. After all, one is rigid, metrics-based, and concrete, while the other is abstract, organic, unpredictable, and—with the wrong space—very elusive. However, the truth is, creativity and productivity are incredibly intertwined, and our exterior surroundings can do a lot to nudge ... Read Post

These are at best challenging economic times! When I think about the pace of change, demanding customers and increasing competition, I think sometimes it is easier to find Waldo than it is to find new business. Add to that the expanding regulations and threat of changes (up or down) with interest rates, it can be ... Read Post

LinkedIn recently released its State of Sales in 2016 report—which found that Salespeople rely on a variety of sales technologies, but spend the most time using CRM solutions and social selling tools, and believe both deliver the highest value. Through our blogs, ebooks and even through our recent product releases, we at Pipeliner have been, for ... Read Post

Most everyone has heard the expression that patience is a virtue. Through the years when someone asks me to describe the major difference between A Players (superior) and B/C Players (average) salespeople in one word, my response: Patience. Mistakes sellers make stem from their impatience Once goals or problems are shared, many sellers immediately try to rescue ... Read Post

If there is one thing that every human being on the planet is faced with it’s our thinking, our psychology and the conditioning of our mind and held beliefs. These beliefs of ourselves, others and our abilities can enable and empower us for success. They can also stop us from achieving greatness and pollute those ... Read Post

Wouldn’t it be great to have a crystal ball that would tell you what your sales totals will be each month, quarter and year? Managing the business would be so much easier anticipating cash flow and profits. The problem is sales forecasts are usually less reliable than predicting the weather. Mark Denning, CPA and Author ... Read Post

All that helps today is that we have a better idea, and the better idea is a fight against the bad idea. The weapons that we have are not armored. We have no hymns, we have no flags, we have no rifles. The only thing we have is our idea, and we bring that idea ... Read Post