No matter how experienced a salesperson may be, there’s always some hesitancy about the sales call or meeting. Yes, the prospect has agreed to take the meeting, but how do you keep the participants engaged and focused? The call might be in-person or it might be remote and distributed. You want to set a specific ... Read Post

Social Publishing: Writing original content and publishing insights, opinions and valuable information to attract customers and evidence credibility and value. Whether you’re looking for your next role or seeking an appointment with the CXO of a target prospect; you need to show your value online to earn a conversation. This is because the majority of ... Read Post

Sometimes, communication between you and a friend, hiring manager, prospect, or client just stops. Crickets….You try to get in touch — still nothing. It’s mysterious and troubling. You do have choices, though, on how to respond. Was It Something I Did? The usual reaction is to second-guess yourself and analyze what you might have done ... Read Post

Stepping into a sales opportunity is like stepping into a boxing ring — you’ll be throwing punches and ducking and weaving. The goal is to remain focused at all costs, not lose your nerve, and engage every tactic at your disposal to win. Emotions are involved in a sale from the very beginning, even before ... Read Post

Call me slow off the mark but I’ve never jumped into the customer experience pond. For some reason I’ve not been tempted to dive bomb it and announce I’ve arrived. Instead my instinct has been to sit on the sidelines and watch its progress. Recently I’m beginning to understand why… It’s all to do with that ... Read Post

In the last few years we have seen radical changes in the sales landscape. Instead of the traditional contact-qualify-pitch-sell-close pattern, today it’s all about establishing relationships, discovering client pain points, and creating value. Insight selling is the phrase of the modern sales era. But if you dig in and talk to champion sales innovators and ... Read Post

For the last several years, my corporate clients have asked me to integrate storytelling into the presentation excellence programs I customize for them or to enhance individual presentation objectives.  One marketing department requested a storytelling workshop to align their team’s messaging on how their roles and services added value to their internal customers.  For another ... Read Post

Most salespeople (think about the 80% on the wrong side of the 80/20 rule) are overly optimistic, usually to their detriment.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not looking for pessimistic brooding hoards, but viewing sales through rose-tinted glasses has cost many salespeople many sales.  I remember reading the “Dictionary for the Disenchanted,” which defines ... Read Post