Marketing lies abound and speak to the unethical behavior of many salespeople. Just two days ago I received this email headline marketing message “Per Our Conversation” with “Leanne, it was great talking with you” in the body of the email.  As I read this message, I scratched my somewhat old brain for this conversation without success.  I checked my notes and my contact data base. This person’s name did not appear.  So I responded to this email with the following: “ABC… – I realize I am old so please understand this question – When did we talk as I don’t remember speaking with y ..read more

How often have salespeople heard this sales demand when discussing how quickly they can deliver their solution be it a product or a service: I want it now! The human desire for immediate delivery is because the customer really wants the solution.  The rationale behind this desire varies from an actual pressing need (emergency) to the quick fix mentality of “Fix my problem so it will go away and make me look good. ” Delivery of your solution is the final buy by your customer.  Even if you have been bought, your company has been bought, your solution has been bought, your price has bee ..read more

How often is the sales price spewed by eager or even desperate salespeople before knowing if: They have been bought? Their companies have been bought? Their solutions have been bought? The answer is probably far too often. Yes price may be a significant factor in formalized bids or for those folks seeking the quick fix at the cheapest price.  However for the majority of SMB business owners and sales professionals, the sales price is the fourth “buy” from sales leads, not the first “buy.” When salespeople jump into the sales price discussion before having established a solid relationship ..read more

Your sales solution be it products, services or a combination must be buyable.  What this means within the current sales training, sales books and even sales coaching jargon is about this concept called “value. ” Now some will suggest and even vehemently argue value can be created.  This is a false belief because if this was true then why do people like different colors when buying a car, a dress, etc? Value is created by the buyer. Let me repeat that “Value is created by the buyer.” It cannot be created by a salesperson unless the salesperson discovers what is called a latent need o ..read more

A sales coaching often unasked question: “Would you buy from your company?” If not, possibly, now is the time to consider answering this sales coaching question, truthfully. Before your solution can be bought by your ideal customer, your company must be bought.  With the availability of information courtesy of the Internet, sales leads, ideal customers, prospects can discover whether your company is credible. Is your business buyable? With more than 70% of businesses within the US being single owner, the company is synonymous with you.  As both the salesperson and the SMB owner, you ..read more

People continue to confuse the essence of sales and this confusion or lack of clarity is responsible for missed sales goals, unhappy customers, etc. My Dad said to be successful “people must first buy you.”  Unfortunately many sales professionals believe they must sell the solution first and therein is their first obstacle to earning a successful sales or in the common vernacular “close the deal.” Some may call this buying “establishing rapport,” but it goes way beyond just having a positive connection to that sales lead or prospect. How often do we see or hear of people making the sales ..read more

Yesterday I received some course catalogs from a well known university advocating a plethora of leadership courses. What these courses and other books fail to recognize is leadership must begin, first and foremost, with each of us. Sure it is great to lead others, but if you can’t lead yourself how can you effectively lead anyone else? Look around at all the overweight people.  This is an issue of internal self-leadership.  These individuals have failed to lead themselves forward to a healthy life style. Just listen to all the advertisements on television about this or that drug to c ..read more