Imagine someone who knows nothing about sales, coming up to you and asking what a manufacturing sales rep does on a daily basis – how would you answer? The simple answer is they sell a product or service to a specific type of customer, but anyone in sales knows that selling something is much more complicated, so let’s reframe the question. In your mind, create a job description for an open position on your sales team. What would that include? Both scenarios require you to distill a complex role into a few bullet points, and neither does it justice. Worse than that, most of the time they focus ..read more

When was the last time you went into a restaurant, and the server told you that you would be having the crab without even giving you the chance to look at the menu? It sounds absurd, but it is exactly what buyers experience when exploring solutions in manufacturing sales every day. In every vertical of manufacturing, you can find reps that are trying to cut through the noise by shouting that they have the solution, without ever fully understanding the needs of each prospect. The result – below average sales, frustrated reps, and management teams scrambling to build a strategy that works. 5 Tip ..read more

Welcome to SALES with ASLAN, a weekly podcast hosted by ASLAN Co-founders Tom Stanfill and Tab Norris, geared at helping sales professionals and sales leaders eliminate the hard sell. At the end of the day, we believe that selling is serving. ASLAN helps sellers make the shift from a ‘typical’ sales approach, to one that makes us more influential because we embrace the truth that the customer’s receptivity is more important than your value prop or message. The goal of these interviews is to spotlight various experts in the world of sales and sales leadership – sharing informational stories, te ..read more

Sales in the manufacturing industry can feel like a page ripped straight from Dante’s Inferno – “abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” That might be a bit overdramatic, but you don’t have to spend much time in the manufacturing space to understand that the struggle is real. Before you throw in the cards, let’s clear the air…not all hope is lost. The fact is, the game has changed and sales teams across the world are being forced to acknowledge that customers are buying differently than they did a decade ago. Every industry has its own unique challenges and obstacles that are constantly impactin ..read more

Sometimes the industrial manufacturing sales world can feel like a high-stakes game of whack-a-mole. Challenges and obstacles are constantly popping up, and more reps than ever are struggling to earn a seat at the table and drive results. Most industrial manufacturing sales reps are equipped with industry knowledge and fundamental sales skills. On the surface, reps should be crushing their numbers…so where is the rub? The truth is, your reps may only have one major problem and it isn’t their pitch – it’s themselves. This isn’t a slight against your sales team or your skills as a sales leader ..read more

Have you ever heard the old saying that “the only constant is change?” Those five words could be used to describe most sectors of the sales industry, but it is particularly true for the chemical manufacturing world. Quips aside, the fact is consistent sales success isn’t easy, and reps across the board are struggling to connect with decision-makers and drive sales results. On the surface, things should be getting easier. Reps have sales enablement tools to help with prospecting and leaders have tools to help monitor progress. What the technology resellers don’t want you to know is that all of ..read more

In real estate, the saying is “location, location, location.” In the world of technology manufacturing sales, location is replaced with the word “access.” Access is critical for any sales organization, but in the technology industry, it has become the single most important factor that determines sales success. Access starts with getting in front of the decision-maker. You are absolutely correct, but that is becoming more and more difficult. The global market has expanded options for buyers, and unlike other sales roles, selling in the tech manufacturing space requires a higher level of experti ..read more

Have you ever been set up on a really bad blind date? You are probably thinking to yourself, “What the heck does a blind date have to do with sales rapport and referrals?” The sales and dating analogy isn’t a new concept. Both parties are feeling each other out to see if there is a connection, sometimes it works, and sometimes it ends prematurely. Truth be told, it is astoundingly accurate.  Referrals are simply blind dates.  A mutual connection helps arrange a meeting, and each party has a little bit of knowledge – accurate or not – and eventually a connection is made. Like blind da ..read more

Welcome to SALES with ASLAN, a weekly podcast hosted by ASLAN Co-founders Tom Stanfill and Tab Norris, geared at helping sales professionals and sales leaders eliminate the hard sell. At the end of the day, we believe that selling is serving. ASLAN helps sellers make the shift from a ‘typical’ sales approach, to one that makes us more influential because we embrace the truth that the customer’s receptivity is more important than your value prop or message. The goal of these interviews is to spotlight various experts in the world of sales and sales leadership – sharing informational stories, te ..read more

Have you ever considered that sales is a lot like building a home? That might seem like a far-fetched idea, but hear us out. The customer is the foundation of the structure, and the sales rep is there to help them build a framework and see their vision come to life. Once the house – or deal – is complete, the rep then has two options: Start building the next home with a fresh lead Tap into their customer network to create a consistent referral pipeline Both have the goal of generating more revenue, but they require very different skill sets to be successful. Many reps are good at pounding th ..read more